


The key to my heart.

by Tribbs



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Prison, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Chuck's A++ Parenting, Derogatory Language, Discussions of Murder, Discussions of abuse, Domestic Fluff, Even more Angst folks, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Injury Recovery, John Winchesters A++ Parenting, Knotting, M/M, Made up legal shit, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Medical Experimentation, Minor Character Death, Minor Injuries, Mutual Pining, No cheating, Partners in Crime, Plots, Prison Sex, Prisoner Dean, Relationship Discussions, Rimming, Riots, Rough Sex, Secret Relationship, Self-Lubrication, Serious Injuries, Sex, Sexist Language, Smut, True Mates, arranged mating, made up medical shit, presenting, shitty parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:07:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 25
Words: 103,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25186918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tribbs/pseuds/Tribbs
Summary: Castiel was born a biological Alpha, but failed to present. With no status in society and disowned by most of his family, he takes one of the few jobs available to him, a prison officer in an Omega prison. A job he is ideally suited for, with his Alpha strength and zero sex drive.Dean is an Omega who is jailed for attempting to flee the country illegally to escape an arranged mating. His father, John Winchester is a drunk, abusive bully, who sold him out of spite.They meet, and discover they are true mates when Cas spontaneously presents as he escorts Dean on the first day of his sentence.Cas must hide his presentation in order to keep his job, and their relationship in order to keep their lives.A complicated plan emerges from their determination to be together, with twists and turns and dirty deals all done in the name of true love. But how just far are they really willing to make it up as they go?Complete. Updates every Mon, Wed, and Fri.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Gabriel/Kali (Supernatural)
Comments: 230
Kudos: 343





	1. Presenting is it's own problem.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! *waves* 
> 
> This fic is complete, like done, finished. It started as a joke in a group chat and snowballed from there. I wrote 60,000 words in six days, because I couldn't stop writing once I'd started, it's over 100,000 words overall. I had great fun writing this and I hope you enjoy.

**Chapter one. Presenting is its own problem.**

  
  
  


Prologue : 10 years ago.

Castiel sat in the doctor's office, his parents flanking him on either side as they nervously waited for the doctor to bring in the results to the barrage of tests Castiel had been put through over the last week or so.

Castiel’s mother, Naomi, looked stern but weary. Her worry over her youngest child was evident in the small lines around her mouth as she pressed her lips together and her clasped hands were gripping each other so tight, her knuckles were white.

Castiel’s father, Chuck, looked tired and bored. He looked like he’d rather be anywhere but here. The small unassuming man belied a powerful Alpha who ran a massive multinational corporation without the support of a board of directors and with zero investors. He scratched his beard and sighed, staring at his watch as if he was counting down the minutes until he could get back to work.

Castiel, at 17, towered over his parents and was already taller than most of his elder brothers. Only Luke was taller, and not by much. His dark hair and olive skin were contrasted by his bright blue eyes that he had inherited from his father. His cheeks were slightly pink as he thought about the embarrassing questions he’d had to answer and the humiliating tests he’d been forced to undergo.

The doorknob rattled and a blonde Alpha doctor swept into the room, his smile was forced and he gave Castiel a brief sympathetic look as he walked around his desk and took a seat, opening up the file he held and laying it out in front of him.

“Thank you for waiting. I’m sorry it took so long, I just wanted to be absolutely sure the results were correct before I told you.” he said, looking grave.

Naomi leaned forward. “Dr Balthazar, what is wrong with my son? His father and I have been worried sick.” she said, glancing over at her Alpha who wasn’t even feigning interest.

Dr Balthazar looked at Castiel, who gulped at the man's grave expression.

“Absolutely nothing. He’s as healthy as a horse. He is biologically an Alpha, that much we knew already, it’s just for some reason, he hasn’t fully presented. We don’t know the cause, it just happens sometimes. It’s possible he could present at a later date, I suppose. But that is very rare, even rarer than finding a true mate. At this time there is no known treatment for-”

“My son is a _null?_ ” Chuck snapped, interrupting the doctor.

Castiel felt his stomach sink and tears stinging his eyes as his mother gasped and his father raged.

Dr Balthazar sighed. “The medical term is Unpresented. Null is an outdated and derogatory term that is not technically correct. Your son is biologically an Alpha, it’s just that the part of the brain that controls his sex drive isn’t working. He won’t get ruts or even mate, he can’t scent properly and can’t produce a knot. But he can still live a fairly normal life.” he said, sympathetically.

“Bullshit. Nulls aren’t normal. An Alpha that can’t knot an Omega is no Alpha. He can’t even inherit after I die. The law states that only a fully presented Alpha can inherit. Nulls are useless in society, even more worthless than an Omega.” Chuck raged.

Castiel shrank into his chair, his heart was pounding and he could hear a faint buzzing in his ears as he began to hyperventilate. He was a Null. An Unpresented had almost no role in society, they were shunned and ridiculed. In a world where role and position in society were everything, Unpresented ranked the lowest of the low. With few rights and almost no protections. Even Omegas, with their freedoms strictly controlled, had more rights than an Unpresented.

“Oh my god. It would be better if he had died!” Naomi wailed suddenly. Dr Balthazar looked disgusted for a second but schooled his expression quickly.

Castiel felt his chest seize and he gasped. He felt like he’d been punched in the stomach.

“Surely there is something we can do? Some new, experimental treatment we can try? Money is no object. I will spend what it takes to cure him of this... affliction.” Chuck said dismissively, reaching into his pocket for his chequebook. “I heard somewhere they were doing some sort of trial in Cuba?”

Dr Balthazar sighed and shook his head. “No, the trial you are talking about was an illegal human trial and all of the participants either died or were left in a vegetative state. As I said, at this point there is no known treatment for Unpresented people. Your son is completely healthy otherwise. With your support, he can lead a mostly normal life.” he looked over at Castiel with a soft kindly expression. “Do you have any questions for me, Castiel?” he asked softly.

Castiel shook his head. He didn’t trust his voice right now and his mind was whirling. He wasn’t so bothered by the diagnosis as his parents' reaction to it. He felt dizzy, like he wanted to throw up.

Dr Balthazar nodded. “Maybe later when you’ve had some time to absorb it. I have some information here for both you and your family, so you can understand your diagnosis better. There is a lot of misinformation out there about Unpresented people, these pamphlets will help dispel some of those myths.” he said, handing over a bundle of glossy pamphlets with titles such as _So, you’re Unpresented, what now?_ on the cover.

Cas took them, his numb fingers almost dropping them before he placed them in his lap and ignored them.

Dr Balthazar continued. “I’m not going to beat around the bush, the suicide rate for Unpresented people is extremely high. I’m going to suggest some counselling to help you come to terms with your diagnosis and some family therapy to help your family adjust. As well as some advice on how best to support you, danger signs to watch out for and so forth. I can put you in touch with some support groups for other Unpresented, it may help you realise that you are not alone.” he said seriously.

Chuck shook his head. “Absolutely not. I will not be advertising the fact that my son is a fucking Null!” he seethed.

Dr Balthazar sighed heavily. “Mr Novak, your son needs your support-”

“I said, no!” Chuck snapped. “I’m going to find a doctor that can fix this. No son of mine will be a Null, not while I have breath in my body.” he raged. “I’ll pay for every test and experimental treatment available, I’ll find a way.”

Castiel couldn’t hold it in any more. “Dad, stop. Please.” he said shakily. “No more tests. This is it, it’s who I am. Just accept it.” he said a little more firmly.

Chuck turned his fury on his son as Naomi just wept. “Never! You will submit to whatever test I tell you to. This is not who you are. You are my son, and my son is not a fucking Null!” he gritted out.

Dr Balthazar slipped his card into Castiel’s hand as Chuck hurried them out of the door, mouthing for Castiel to call him later if he needed advice or help.

The call wouldn’t come for many years.

  
  


*********************

  
  
  


Present Day.

Dean rolled his eyes at his father who was giving him yet another lecture on proper Omega behaviour. It seemed to be all he did since he had presented at age 14, 10 years ago.

Omegas shouldn’t listen to heavy metal, or curse, wear jeans and flannels or eat junk food. They shouldn’t talk back, or at all, ideally. They shouldn’t work on cars or even drive. They shouldn’t leave the house without an Alpha member of the family and they certainly didn’t act like Alphas and think for themselves.

According to society, Omegas were supposed to be small and demure, soft spoken and polite. They were supposed to take care of the home and pander to the Alphas of the household. They were supposed to be nurturing and loving and sweet.

On the surface, Dean didn’t appear to be any of those things. But secretly he craved a home and an Alpha of his own. But only on his terms, he wanted nothing less than his true mate. Someone who would love him and care for him, not treat him as a glorified servant. He would willingly stay barefoot and pregnant for his true mate. He did take care of the house and did all of the household chores, no matter what John said. He just complained about it a lot, something that annoyed John endlessly.

He knew his father, and even his brother (to a lesser degree) would scoff at such romantic notions. Although the concept of true mates was well documented, it was so rare as to be thought a virtual impossibility. Many claimed to be true mates, only for the Alpha to suddenly reject the Omega, forcing them to go through painful surgery to reverse the mating, or one died and the other survived. Something real true mates never did. It didn’t stop Hollywood and book publishers constantly churning out romcoms with the true mate trope though. Dean hid his selection of romance novels and romcoms on his tablet and only watched them when alone in his room with his headphones on. He knew his dad and brother would tease him mercilessly for it.

Sam was an Alpha, but he was a lot more forward thinking than their father. He would constantly butt heads with John whenever he was home from college about his constant nagging of Dean and his ideas about how Omegas should be. The day he’d gotten into college, a whole year early and on a full scholarship no less, had been the proudest day of Dean’s life. He was still an Alpha though and didn’t truly get an Omegas point of view, but he tried, and that mattered to Dean more than anything. He was only home right now because of Dean’s birthday. Now Sam was 21, he could officially buy Dean a beer, something he wasn’t allowed to do on his own. Omegas weren’t allowed to drink in a bar without an Alpha present. John certainly would never take Dean out to a bar.

“Are you even listening to me? Typical!” John raged.

“Lay off him Dad, he worked all day at the garage and has to come home and pick up after you. It’d be easier if you weren’t such a pig. Look at this, why should he have to clean this up?!” Sam yelled in Dean's defence, pointing to John's chair and the small table next to it that was covered in beer cans and cigarette butts.

The ashtray was overflowing and there were food wrappers littering the floor and tucked down the side of the seat cushion. The room stank of stale beer and cigarette smoke and the sour smell of unwashed Alpha that Dean could only get rid of when John left for one of his “jobs' ', That meant he sometimes disappeared for weeks on end with no word and no money in the house. It was why Dean had been forced to find work in the first place. Something John had objected to until he realised he was entitled to most of Dean’s paycheck. Luckily, Bobby paid Dean a portion of his wages under the table so he had enough to get by when John inevitably vanished again.

“Shut the fuck up, Sam. It’s an Omegas job. They enjoy taking care of the home and their Alpha. It’s not my fault your brother is so fucked up in the head that he thinks it’s beneath him. Any other Omega would be proud to stay at home and keep house.” he spat nastily.

“Like Mom did? Did you forget she left your ass because you treated her like a dog? Yeah, Bobby told me. She’s in Canada now, I looked her up. She’s happy, working as a police officer. Did you know that? You wouldn’t have told us if you did. Seeing as you prevented her from contacting us when we were still kids.” Sam gritted out, a gleam of triumph in his eyes as he went for the throat.

Dean gasped and his eyes filled with tears, he hadn’t known that about his mother. John had discouraged his sons from asking about her. Telling them she had abandoned them when Sam was a baby. Dean had grown up resenting the mother he barely remembered. At four years old, he had been given the responsibility of house Omega. He didn’t complain until he presented and John began putting the pressure on him to find a mate.

“You don’t get to speak to me like that!” John raged. “Your mother was a whore and a defective Omega. She abandoned her babies like it was nothing. What kind of Omega does that? You tell me, Sam!” he said, his scent taking on the pungent smell of Alpha rage.

“She tried to take us with her, you bastard! She was planning to take us over the border to start a new life, until you caught up with her and threatened to kill her for taking your children. The law backed you up and she fled in terror. I looked up the court documents, it’s all there.” Sam screamed, his own Alpha rage rising as he brought himself up to his full height and stood toe to toe with his father, daring him to attack.

“What?” Dean gasped. “She was going to take us with her?” he whispered, completely shocked.

Sam’s face softened as he looked at his brother. “Yeah, Dean. She didn’t want to leave us behind, she just wanted to get away from him.” he said, baring his teeth at his father.

Dean felt his legs give way and he sat down heavily on the chair behind him. Omega distress pouring off him in waves. Both Alphas returned to snarling at each other and pushing and shoving each other around the room, stopping just short of going into full on Alpha rage. Dean didn’t notice. His whole world had been turned upside down, everything he believed was true, suddenly wasn’t. His mother had wanted him, she didn’t want to leave him behind. She hadn’t abandoned him. She had loved him.

The sound of breaking furniture and smashing glass was followed by the sound of the front door slamming shut as John stormed out.

“Dean?” Sam said softly. He was on his knees in front of his brother, he looked guilty. “I’m sorry, I should have told you before and in a better way. I was trying to find a way to tell you, I swear. But Dad was being such a prick, I lost my temper and it came out.” he said, looking genuinely sorry.

“What else?” Dean whispered. “There’s more, isn’t there?” he asserted.

Sam nodded. “She was planning to take us to Canada, the laws are different there, Omegas have equal rights to Alphas, even Unpresented people have rights. Here, Dad automatically got custody of us as he’s the Alpha. But there, it’s based on who can actually care for the children better and they won’t extradite to America if someone is in danger, and she was. Dad had the right to kill her for taking us in the first place.” he said shakily. “Mom has a new life, she never mated again and didn’t have any more kids. She’s a police officer in Vancouver. Imagine that, an Omega police officer! She sounds like an amazing woman. She’s a lieutenant, Dean. How cool is that?”

Dean nodded and Sam continued. “Bobby told me when I turned 21. He figured I was old enough to know now that I reached majority and Dad is no longer my Alpha. He suggested I apply to be your Alpha instead, we just have to prove Dad is unfit. We could go to Canada and look for Mom if you’d like?” he suggested, looking hopeful.

Dean snorted. “You think Dad will let me go that easy? Nah, he’ll put up a fight. As for looking for Mom, I don’t know. I need to think about it. This is all too much right now.” he admitted.

Sam nodded. “I know, it was a lot for me too. It’s why I found it so hard to tell you. I’m really sorry. You shouldn’t have had to hear it like that. Bobby’s been on at me to tell you for months. He wants you away from Dad as much as I do. He said he’d help us get set up, I have to prove I can take care of you. You know, because you’re a delicate Omega an’ all.” he said rolling his eyes and chuckling at the notion of Dean being delicate.

Dean almost laughed out loud. “You? Take care of me? Like I haven’t been taking care of you since you were crawling.” he said incredulously.

Sam shrugged. “It’s the law. If we manage to pull it off, I can add you to my passport and take you to Canada and you can be free. Dad can stay here and fester in his own filth without you here to pick up after him.” he chuckled.

“Well now. There’s an upside.” Dean grinned.

  
  


****************

  
  


Castiel held out his hand and let his sometimes cat, Meg, rub herself against his palm. He smiled softly and ran his hand down her back as she arched her back and meowed softly.

“Oh, yes. I completely agree.” he said, as if Meg had said something profound, then chuckled to himself.

Moving to his closet he opened it and took out a fresh uniform of a blue shirt and black slacks, hanging it on the closet door as he held onto the towel wrapped around his waist. Meg watched from her perch on the dresser with interest as he opened a drawer and pulled out fresh boxers and socks.

“You are not watching me get dressed, so get off of there and go eat the food I left out for you.” Cas said, picking Meg up and depositing her outside of his bedroom door. She twitched her nose and stalked off with her tail in the air haughtily.

Cas dressed slowly, taking the time to carefully tie his tie properly. He’d been written up previously for his scruffy appearance. He tried, he really did. No matter how carefully he did his hair, tucked his shirt into his slacks , shaved or tied his tie, by the end of the day, his hair stood up on end, his shirt came untucked, his tie ended up backwards and he had a five’o’clock shadow. He hated shaving, it was tedious and he sometimes had to do it twice a day if he was working a double shift. His direct superior, Hannah, had a soft spot for him and mostly turned a blind eye to Castiel’s dishevelled appearance.

He looked over at the clock on his bedside table and sighed. He had only half an hour before he had to leave for work. It was not enough time to make a proper breakfast and make a run to the pharmacy for his antidepressant medication on the way to the Omega prison where he worked.

He very much enjoyed his job, one of the few open to him as an Unpresented. His unique situation was ideal for such a line of work. He still had an Alpha’s build and strength, but completely lacked any sexual drive or hormones. Making him ideal for work in an Omega prison as he wouldn’t be affected by heats, and could restrain even the strongest Omega with ease.

His brother Gabriel had helped him immensely after his diagnosis. Convincing their father to drop his crusade to “cure” Castiel by subjecting him to every test imaginable from any quack and charlatan that claimed to have found a solution. Taking Castiel into his own home and even helping him find a job.

Castiel had been a wreck and it had taken him over a year to recover from his mother's rejection and his father's anger. Even so, when they had both died when their plane went down in adverse weather, he was utterly devastated. He still went to a therapist regularly and took meds daily to cope with his condition. Gabriel tried his best, but even he found it difficult to accept Castiel as he was. He was convinced that finding Castiel’s true mate was the answer as it sometimes triggered a presentation.

He was even more convinced after finding his own true mate a couple of years previously. Kali was the direct opposite of Gabriel, yet suited him perfectly. Castiel could admit that the thought of a true mate sounded wonderful, a dream come true. But the chances were so low he had all but dismissed the idea. Gabriel had registered Cas on every true mate registry he could find and had even set up his own to widen the pool, with no success. Castiel had given up on the idea long ago anyway, he just wished Gabriel would accept him as he was. His heart was in the right place though, and that is what mattered, he supposed.

He wasn’t too sure what Gabe actually did for a living. He claimed to be an entrepreneur, and he was constantly jetting off to exotic places around the world, this week he was in Hawaii, a couple of weeks ago he was in Hong Kong, before that, he’d been in Europe for an entire month. Their eldest brother Michael was dismissive of Gabriel and his business. Claiming his “little tiki bar on the beach” was just an excuse to spend his inheritance and live like a playboy.

As the eldest living Alpha, Michael had also inherited the mantle of family Alpha. He had taken control of his father's business and estate and ruled them with a rod of iron. Luke, the second eldest had been resentful as he had expected a larger share of the business than he got. He had wanted to expand and diversify. But Michael, who held the controlling shares, had vetoed it. Wanting to stay with the tried and tested methods their father had worked by. The business was still doing well, but had suffered in the changing market as they failed to keep up with the changes in demand.

Castiel had received nothing from his father's estate. As an Unpresented, he was legally barred from inheriting a part of the estate or business, although could receive an allowance if the beneficiary chose, Michael had not. For a while, he’d had to rely on Gabriel’s charity. Michael had seemed contrite, but ultimately respected his father's wishes, cutting Castiel off completely, halfway through the second semester of his final year at college, not even giving him an allowance or letting him finish out the year.

Luke was still smarting from his own disappointment and had ignored Castiel’s plight completely. Gabe had paid for the rest of Castiel’s college education and taken him into his own home. Helping him get on his feet, he had even helped get the down payment together so Castiel could buy his own little house nearer to work. Gabriel may be an annoying prankster sometimes, but he was fiercely loyal and the best big brother he could ask for.

He finished pulling on his thickly-soled steel-toe capped boots and, after throwing his damp towel in the hamper, headed to the kitchen to grab a bowl of cereal. Meg greeted him with happy eating noises as she buried her whiskers in the bowl of wet cat food that Cas occasionally indulged her with. He hadn’t seen her in weeks, she had reappeared again last night when Cas had been out on the back deck reading a book. Greeting him with loud meows as she presented him with a half dead bird. He had given the poor bird to his neighbour, who was a vet, to try to save it. He hoped the little guy made it. He loved Meg, but she was an asshole who showed up whenever she wanted, shredded his curtains, ate his food, dug up and shit in his flowerbeds and fucked off again. He had no idea where to, she probably had a whole harem of occasional “owners” that went through the same thing. She seemed well fed and healthy enough anyway.

Cas had few friends, he rarely socialised and dating was pointless. He had trouble following the unseen social cues that came from scenting. Everyone else took it for granted, but Cas couldn’t scent when someone was worried or sick or angry. He had to go by body language and verbal cues to know what someone was thinking, and with such a small circle of friends and colleagues he hadn’t much opportunity to master it. So he was further ostracised for his awkwardness.

He poured out a bowlful of cornflakes and chuckled as Meg looked up hopefully, thinking it was more dry cat food. He added a splash of milk and poured himself a coffee and sat at the little table eating his breakfast as he watched Meg roll around the floor playfully.

After breakfast he placed his bowl and coffee cup in the dishwasher and shrugged on his jacket and slung his messenger bag over his shoulder, before wheeling his bike to the curb. His 1950 Indian Chief Black Hawk was his prized possession and the only thing Michael had let him keep after cutting him off. The bike was a highly sought after collectors item and was in mint condition. Gabriel hated it and begged Cas to just buy a car, any car. He even offered to buy one for him and Cas had relented at one point, until Gabe showed up with a Gold Lincoln Continental that looked like a Pimpmobile. Cas had flat out refused to drive it. He still owned it however, it sat in his garage and he only drove it whenever he needed to majorly stock up on groceries or the weather was too bad for his bike.

He pulled on his bike helmet and started the bike's engine, it’s deep throaty rumble made him smile as he headed out of the quiet cul de sac where his little house was situated on the edge of town.

This was his favourite time of day, just him and his bike and the open road. He often fantasized of going on a road trip, but his bike drew too much attention and he’d be afraid to leave it unattended at any of the sketchy motels that were the only places he could afford on his meagre salary. So he contented himself with the journey to work and back.

It was probably for the best, anyway.


	2. Fake it till you make it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> Thank you so much for the comments and kudos. They are so very welcome. I just want to add that this fic is being edited by my very good friend FallenWatcher. I forgot to credit her, an enormous oversight on my part.   
> Comments and kudos are the bread and butter of fic writers.   
> Give me a follow on Twitter @Zoeleeclark. I'll follow back.

**Chapter Two. Fake it till you make it.**

The border was in sight and Dean’s heart was beating so rapidly that he was afraid he was going to pass out. The fake documents were good, but wouldn’t hold up to a thorough check. He just had to hope that the border police weren’t bored and looking to make work for themselves. He tried to force himself to breathe normally as he sat at the checkpoint, in the car Bobby had provided.

After Sam and John's fight, John had left the house in a temper and Sam had explained his plan of applying to become Dean’s legal Alpha, so both of them could go to Canada. It was a good plan, but they had no way of knowing it had failed before they had even got started.

When John had finally come home, reeking of expensive booze and cigars, he had gleefully announced that he had arranged for Dean to be mated to an Alpha. Money had exchanged hands and the contract had been signed. Dean had a week to settle his affairs, quit his job and then he would be mated by one of the wealthiest Alphas in the country.

Dean had exploded with anger, striking his father for the first time ever. Sam had been suspicious, asking how John even knew any rich Alphas. John had laughed as he held his bleeding nose and sneered that they didn’t need to know. Dean just needed to quit his job at the garage and get used to being face down, ass up for the Alpha in question.

Sam had exploded then too, he went into full on Alpha rage and beat John within an inch of his life. Then he had taken Dean to Bobby to ask for his help. With only a week to work with, Bobby had done his best, he had forged some ID claiming Dean was an Alpha and arranged for him to flee to Canada, where an old friend would meet him on the other side of the border to help him claim asylum. He was to go alone, it would be less likely to be picked up that way. Sam would be laying a false trail to California where he studied pre-law at Stanford.

Arranged matings were illegal in Canada and they refused extradition for anyone forced into one. Sam had contacted their friend Charlie to find out more about the Alpha that had bought Dean from their father, the news hadn’t been good. The public record was sealed, they had no way of knowing who it was even when she hacked her way in. It had been a private sale and the Alpha had only signed the document with “Alpha X”. Which was legal within the state of Kansas.

The risk was enormous. Being caught with forged documents was very illegal, posing as an Alpha was a misdemeanour, but attempting to cross the border doing both was definite jail time. Even if Omega prisons were like holiday camps compared to Alpha and Beta jails, Dean would still be in jail and helpless to stop the Alpha that had bought him from mating him as soon as he got out.

The car in front rolled forward into the checkpoint, and Dean switched his engine back on and rolled forward as well, stopping as a border guard held up a hand and pointed to the sign that stated _“Engines off, no idling while in the queue. Please have your papers ready and comply with Border Police requests.”_

Dean looked at the forged papers on the bench seat next to his thigh and tried to control his breathing and look relaxed as if he did this every day. He went over his cover story. He was on a trip to buy a classic car for his employer, Bobby Singer of Singer Autos. He was only going to Vancouver overnight, just enough time to inspect the vehicle and arrange for it to be shipped back to the states. He had no other business and would be returning home the next day.

He could feel his armpits soaking through the t-shirt and oversized flannel shirt he was wearing. The blockers he was wearing would hold up, but he wasn’t too sure about the illegal synthetic Alpha musk he was wearing. It was banned for many reasons, not least that it was slightly toxic, but it covered up the subtle nuances of the scent of the person wearing it. It was very basic and didn’t shift with mood. It was just Alpha, not happy Alpha, tired Alpha or any other mood or emotion. It wouldn’t hold up for more than a few moments at most. Dean popped a stick of gum in his mouth and opened up the flask of Ellen’s spicy noodle soup, hoping the strong scents would help cover the bland, fake Alpha smell.

The car in front was waived through the gate that rumbled on its track as it opened and closed again and Dean was being signalled to drive forward and park in order to show his papers. He smiled nervously and started his engine, pulling forward to the line and killing his engine. He wound down the window halfway and smiled at the border cop.

“ Hey man, how’s it going today?” he said cheerily.

The border cop didn’t return his smile and fixed Dean with a stony look as he held out his hand. “Papers” he demanded.

“ Sure, I got ‘em ready.” Dean said, trying not to babble nervously.

He bundled them up and handed them over. Watching the border cops face for any sign that he was busted.

“ What is the purpose of your journey?” The border cop asked, sounding bored.

“ I gotta inspect a classic car that my boss wants to buy. Make sure it’s what they say it is. Arrange to have it shipped back here, make sure all the proper taxes are paid and such. Should only take a day or so. No more than that.” Dean said easily, relaxing a little as the border cop nodded.

“ What kind of car is it?” the cop asked.

“ Classic Thunderbird. Can’t remember the year off the top of my head, it’s in the paperwork somewhere though. I just gotta make sure she’s in the same condition the seller says she is. My boss don’t want no rusted heap of parts. Her chassis has to be intact at the very least.” Dean said with a grin.

“ So you won’t be driving it back?” The cop asked, still looking over the papers.

Dean shook his head. “Nah, she’s not roadworthy, I know that much. The old girl needs some work done. That’s what my boss does, restores classic cars and sells ‘em to collectors. Makes some dough doin’ it too.” he said, beginning to get nervous as the cop took his time going over the documents.

“ Can you pop the trunk for me please, sir?” the cop asked politely.

Dean could feel the first stages of panic as he nodded and pulled the lever to open the trunk. He had packed only the bare minimum of clothes as crossing the border with a trunk full of belongings was a dead giveaway he was leaving for good. He had nothing in the trunk, his duffel was on the back seat. But the fact the cop wanted to inspect the car was not a good sign. He considered starting the car and ramming the gate for a brief moment before realising that was just a certain way of getting shot. Besides, the gate was reinforced steel and could probably withstand being rammed by anything short of a tank. This old junker of Bobby’s would fold like a coke can against it.

He looked in the rear view mirror nervously, but could see nothing. The trunk was open and blocked his view. He looked in his side mirror and could see a second cop had joined the first. They were talking in low voices as they looked at the papers in the first cops hands.

Dean tried not to panic. He might still get out of this if he played it cool. He chewed his gum noisily and popped it against the roof of his mouth as he forced his body to relax into the bench seat, and tried not to sweat through both shirts.

His trunk slammed, rocking the car and he looked up as the second cop approached the window.

“ Can you step out of the car please, sir. We’d like to ask you some questions. Leave the keys in the ignition, one of our other officers will move your car out of the way so we can get the people behind you moving.” the second cop asked politely.

Dean barely concealed his panic. “Is there a problem, officer?” he asked, frowning.

“ We just wanna ask you a couple of questions and then hopefully you’ll be on your way, sir.” the cop said noncommittally.

Reminding himself to play it cool, Dean undid his seatbelt and stepped out of the car. He stood a couple of inches taller than the Alpha cop and felt a little satisfaction at that. He knew his build and height made him look like an Alpha at first, it was only under closer inspection that his features gave him away as an Omega, his thick, long eyelashes and full lips were too pretty and he looked far younger than his (only just) 24 years. He shivered a little at the cold early February temperature and gestured to the cop that he was getting his jacket from the back seat.

The cop nodded, but put a hand on the weapon on his belt, as a warning not to try anything stupid. Dean wasn’t stupid. Border cops didn’t fuck around and getting shot was not on his agenda for today. He was deliberately slow as he opened the door and grabbed his jacket, shrugging it on and looking at the cop.

“ Is my bag gonna be alright back there or should I bring it with me?” he asked, gesturing to it and raising his eyebrow in question.

The cop nodded. “I’ll take your bag for you, sir. We’ll need to take a quick look inside, if you don’t mind.” he said politely.

Dean barely refrained from rolling his eyes. Even if he did mind, they were gonna look in it anyway, so the pleasantries were unnecessary. Although, this guy was at least giving the impression of politeness, not like the first cop who had an entire oak tree up his ass. But Dean wasn’t fooled in the slightest, he’d dealt with cops his whole life, thanks to his Dad and his shady ways, and knew that if a cop was being nice to you, they thought they had something on you. So he played along, trying not to give himself away. He still might salvage this if he could just keep it together a little longer.

“ This way please, sir.” the second cop asked, gesturing towards the small glass fronted building, the windows were filthy and mirrored, so he watched himself walking towards the building. His bow-legged gait making the Alpha cop trot to keep up in order to get the door for him.

“ So, you’re from Kansas, huh?” The cop asked as he showed Dean into a small office, it’s windows were just as filthy as the front windows and looked out over a parking lot.

“ Yeah, born and bred. Ain’t no farm boy though, that’s for sure.” Dean joked.

“ Really? I thought all you Kansas boys were raised on corn, or is it wheat? I forget. I’m from Ohio myself, my parents actually did have a farm, ‘til they sold it to one of those big farming corporations that is. Me and my brother didn’t have the love of the land that my parents did. I joined the Marines right out of school and my brother works for a company that sells paper.” the cop said, his tone friendly.

Dean smiled politely. The cop was trying to get him to open up and share, maybe slip up and give himself away with some tiny detail. They were probably ripping Bobby’s junker to pieces right now. Having a sniffer dog going over every inch of the car. He was gonna have to pop an antihistamine to stave off his allergies, if they ever let him get back on the road, because of all of the damn dog hair on the seats.

“ So, you said your boss is buying a T-bird? I don’t know much about cars, tell me about it.” the cop asked, pouring a cup of coffee from an ancient looking machine, offering Dean a cup, which he refused on principle after seeing the disgusting state of the mugs on the counter.

“ Not much to tell, I haven’t laid eyes on her yet. But she’s supposed to be in pretty good condition still. Not roadworthy yet, but good bones, y’know? She’ll probably need a few new parts, some new upholstery and a new paint job before the boss sells her on to a collector. I’m supposed to make sure the seller is telling the truth and try knockin’ a few hundred off the askin’ price. Then arranging for her to be shipped back here by a local company. Cheaper than sending one of our guys all the way up there and back, I guess.” Dean said with a shrug.

“ Your boss must trust your opinion to send you up here alone like this.” the cop mused sipping the coffee and grimacing.

“ Yeah, while most kids were reading comics, I was reading car magazines. My dad has a ‘67 Impala, so I know my way around the classics. I was workin’ for my boss on the weekends before I left school.” Dean said truthfully.

“ You got a sweetheart, someone special? Good lookin’ guy like yourself must have been snapped up by now.” the cop asked, sipping his coffee and grimacing again.

Dean shook his head. “Nah, still single. Why do you ask? Are you hittin’ on me or something? Gotta say, I ‘m flattered, dude, but I don’t swing that way.” Dean joked.

The cop rolled his eyes and smirked. He sat down heavily in his chair on the opposite side of the desk and gave Dean an admiring look. “You are one cool customer. I’ve never met anyone like you. You lied straight to my face and didn’t bat an eyelash. Bravo.” he said, giving Dean a slow hand clap.

“ If I didn’t know any better, I would have let you go through the checkpoint and you would have been home free. However, your Alpha is a very powerful man, Dean Winchester. He warned us and every checkpoint along the entire border that you were probably going to try to get through with fake papers. Apparently, your Daddy warned him what you were like when he signed the contract. I have to say, the photo and description doesn’t do you justice, you’re breathtaking in person.” he said, grinning as Dean felt the vomit climb up his throat.

  
  


***************

  
  
  


“ Castiel, I need you covering the yard today. Word is there’s something brewing between the two main gangs, I’ll need you to break it up before it goes too far. I don’t want a repeat of what happened to Ruby Masters. Omega prisons are supposed to rehabilitate and guide Omegas, teach them that their place is in the home. Give them the necessary skills to please their Alpha and be a productive member of society. Not teach them to brawl and scratch each others eyes out.” Hannah said wearily as she squinted at her clipboard.

Cas nodded as he stood with the other officers on his shift.

“ The new arrivals from last week will be coming out of induced heat today. As always they’ll need soft voices and gentle guidance. After yard time for the other prisoners, I want them taken one by one to the laundry where they can wash their bedding and uniforms. The faster they settle in, the better. They’ll be joining gen pop tomorrow and we need a smooth transition. Remember, Omegas need a calm environment to thrive and feel safe. I don’t want any of them upset. They committed crimes, yes. But only because they were not nurtured in the correct environment. They need our guidance back onto the path.” Hannah said, with the zeal of a true believer in a cause.

Castiel thought privately that Hannah didn’t give Omegas enough credit. To her, Omegas were delicate flowers who didn’t know wrong from right and needed constant guidance. That was not Castiel’s experience down on the blocks. In a tight spot, an Omega was generally better at thinking on their feet than any Alpha or Beta. The only thing they lacked was the pure brute strength of an Alpha, which if they were quick enough, could be overcome with a swift kick to the balls. He wore a cup whenever he worked the violent offenders wing for precisely that reason. He had learned  _ that _ particular lesson the hard way.

But he had no wish to harm any Omega, most of them were in here because they had been pushed into a desperate situation. Many of them were separated from their children, something almost unbearable to any parent, but especially an Omega. So he complied with Hannah’s rules. They fit his personality anyway, he was soft spoken and polite, but took no shit and the prisoners respected him. In the seven years he had done this job, he’d only had to restrain two Omegas. One who was intent on harming herself when her child had died, and another that was, quite literally, insane. She had kicked him in the nuts and tried to bite him, thinking he was her mate.

Most of the time he just had to listen to an Omega and the problem resolved itself. He suspected that was one of the main problems with the Omegas in here and everywhere else. No-one ever listened to an Omega, their opinion counted for nothing. They were fawned over, treated like china dolls, or horribly abused, but never heard.

Hannah dismissed them from the shift handover meeting and they all went off to their duties. Castiel headed down to the short term prisoners wing, where he was on duty this rotation. He smiled at the camera over the first set of security gates and waited to be buzzed in, hearing the buzz, he pushed open the gate and waited for the locks to cycle and the second set of gates to open, once he was through, he headed for the terraces, where he met up with officer Ezra who was scolding an Omega for not keeping his cell in an orderly fashion. Ezra was newly transferred from a Beta prison and had yet to grasp the nuances of guarding Omegas.

The rules were strict, all cells were to be kept clean and tidy at all times. First thing after breakfast, the cells were to be tidied, swept clean and the floors mopped, beds made and all clothing was to be either folded and put away in the lockers provided, or put in the laundry bins at the end of each landing. This particular Omega seemed to have a problem putting his clothing away. Instead he tended to nest with it and was reluctant to dismantle it, even if he was breaking the rules. It occurred sometimes with the Omegas with very young children on the outside. Castiel had experience with solving this particular problem.

“ Inias, instead of your obviously dirty clothes, how about an extra blanket instead? Surely that is better?” Cas suggested softly. The officer looked at Cas with surprise and Inias looked grateful.

“ Really? That would be okay? Thank you! I’m sorry, I can’t help it. I just- I need it, y’know?” Inias babbled.

“ I’ll put in a requisition for an extra blanket. I know it’s difficult to resist your instincts, and that is actually a good thing, Inias. You’re missing your babies and that is normal. Now, hurry and put your dirty clothes in the laundry bin, its almost time for your classes.” Cas said, firmly.

Inias smiled. “Thank you, Officer Novak. I wouldn’t want to miss my cookery class, we’re making our Alphas favourite desserts this week. We get to give it to them during visiting hours tomorrow.” he said excitedly. “My Alpha loves my cheesecake.” he boasted proudly, before darting back into his cell and gathering up the dirty clothes from his bed and marching past Cas and his fellow officer to dump it in the laundry bin.

“ Wow, you handled that smoothly.” the officer praised. “I thought I was gonna have to restrain him when I tried to take the clothes off the bed.” he chuckled.

Cas whipped around looking furious. “Never touch an Omega’s nest!” he gritted out angrily. “Did you learn nothing in orientation? An Omegas nest is sacrosanct. An Omega could literally kill you for it, and any other Omega who witnessed it would probably join in.” he hissed, checking over his shoulder to make sure he wasn’t being overheard. “Don’t do that again.” he warned.

Ezra looked taken aback and surprised at Castiel’s quiet outburst. He nodded dumbly.

Cas sighed. “Look, Omegas are different from Betas. Like Alphas, they are very much driven by instinct. They build nests to feel safe, it’s why they induce heats in the new inmates. It forces them to nest, so they feel safe and comfortable in their new surroundings. They settle in faster and we have a calmer, more compliant population. Otherwise the Omegas separated from their Alphas and children would go insane or become violent. They are extremely protective of the nest and even the most mild mannered Omega will kill to defend it. They can’t help it, it’s instinct.” he explained in a calmer tone.

Ezra nodded again in understanding. “Wow, I really messed up, huh?” he said with a grimace.

Cas nodded gravely. “I suggest you go over your orientation manual again tonight after your shift. Don’t underestimate them just because they are Omegas. And even if they have broken the law, they still have rights, and defending a nest is one of them.”

Ezra's eyes widened. “Oh, he wouldn’t have even gotten in trouble for killing me?” he asked.

Cas shook his head. “No. Like I said, a nest is sacrosanct, and protected by law.”

Ezra blew out a breath. “I’m a Beta, with Beta parents, I never knew any of this.” he lamented.

Cas gave him a dark look. “I suggest you learn, and fast. If you mess up again, I might not be there to save your ass next time.” he warned, stalking off towards a group of Omegas who were cooing over someone’s baby pictures. He smiled as the Omega proudly showed off a picture of a chubby, drooling baby who was grinning, revealing a single tooth in his lower gum.

“ Look, Officer Novak! My youngest just cut his first tooth! My poor Alpha hasn’t had any sleep for days, maybe now he’ll get a good night's rest, huh?” she crowed, her face glowing as she looked at the picture adoringly.

Cas leaned in and smiled approvingly. “This one is Darryl, right? He’s gotten so big. He’s even cuter than I remember.” he said, not realising the adoring looks he was receiving from the other Omegas. “Better hurry up and put those pictures safely in your locker. Classes start soon.” he reminded, moving on along the landing.

The Omegas watched him go.

  
“ God, what a waste. It’s a crying shame that man is a Null and sex on legs at the same time. That’s proof right there that this is a cruel and unjust world.” One of the Omegas lamented sadly to the agreement of the others. “Poor Officer No-sac.” said another, calling him by the cruel nickname some of the prisoners used, causing a round of quickly stifled laughter. 


	3. A change is as good as a rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> Thank you so much for the comments and kudos. They really do make all the difference to fic writers. 
> 
> In this chapter, our boys finally meet and the first part of the plan is formed. Enjoy!

**Chapter Three. A change is as good as a rest.**

Dean drank all of the water in the plastic tumbler on the table next to the plastic sheet covered bed and reached for the plastic covered jug, pouring another and drinking that down as well. His joints ached and he felt more tired than he ever remembered feeling before. That was the most intense heat he had ever had, he’d lost huge chunks of time, something he’d never done before. He’d heard of heats being like that for some people, but his had never been particularly bad and he was always aware of himself and what he was doing, until now.

When he’d arrived at the prison, what? A week ago? He wasn’t sure, with the time missing and all. He’d been ushered into the medical wing and a nice lady doctor had examined him thoroughly, asked him questions and then gently explained that even though he’d only had his heat a month or so before, now he was locked up with hundreds of other Omegas, it would trigger another heat, more intense than he’d ever experienced before. It was a natural side effect of the concentration of hormones in one place or something. He’d heard of something like that before, but assumed it was an old wives tale or an urban legend or something.

She told him not to worry, that she would be monitoring all of the new inmates and they would be given sedatives and painkillers to help them. She took his temperature and tutted, shaking her head, saying it wouldn’t be long now. Which was weird, because Dean could usually tell when his heat was coming and he felt fine.

The doctor insisted however and he’d been told to lay down on a bed while she attached a catheter into his arm. When he asked what it was for, she told him it was just fluids to help him feel less dehydrated and she was going to administer the sedatives and painkillers now so they had a chance to kick in before his heat hit.

He watched as she took two syringes from her pocket and injected them into the line in his arm. Almost immediately afterwards, he began to feel weird and he began to sweat and shake like he was already on day two of his heat.

“ Whoa! You were right, it’s happening fast, you were just in time, Doc.” he said, surprised that his speech was slurred and the room was hazy. He didn’t remember much after that.

Now, he looked up at the plastic digital clock that was bolted to the wall and saw it was 9 am. He felt hungry but his stomach felt delicate still. He wondered if he’d eaten anything in the last week or so. He must have, but he didn’t remember anything specific and there was no tray or empty wrappers in the bare room. There wasn’t even a chair for the table or a waste paper basket. The recessed light in the ceiling buzzed and flickered and he shivered as he looked down at himself, realising that other than the thin, but surprisingly soft blanket, he was naked. He wondered where he could get a shower and some clothes.

Hearing a bang on the door he jumped. “Yeah?” he croaked out, his voice raspy from disuse.

The door opened and a tall, female Beta stepped in. She smiled. “Hey, there. Welcome back. Feeling better I see?” she said, looking him over.

Dean nodded. “Uh, yeah. Roughest heat I’ve ever had. What day is it?” he asked.

She looked surprised. “Wow, you really were out of it. It’s Thursday, you’ve been here since last Friday.” she said sympathetically.

Dean whistled. “Holy shit. I lost almost a week.” he said, running his hand through his greasy hair and grimacing.

“ Okay, you want a shower or some food first? You’ve only had fluids so I’d suggest eating a little something first, so you don’t fall and hurt yourself in the shower.” the Beta said gently. She seemed to be tip-toeing around him. For a prison guard, she sure was being nice. Too nice.

Dean looked at her confused. “Why are you being so nice to me?” he asked. He never got that at home, his Dad treated his heats like an inconvenience and he usually started yelling at him to hurry up and get over it by the last day, so he could make some damn dinner or something. Which was bullshit. Dean treated his heats like prepping for a siege. He made up a week's worth of meals in advance and froze them, made sure all of the laundry was up to date and arranged for a perishable goods delivery halfway through the week so they didn’t run out of anything, especially his Dad’s beer. He’d tried to buy the beer in advance once, but his father had just drunk it all in two days and bitched until he eventually disappeared on a bender for almost a month.

It was the Beta’s turn to look confused. “You’ve just had the most intense heat of your life, and you’re wondering why I’m being nice to you? Did you want me to yell at you or something? Sorry, that’s not how it works here, Dean. This is an Omega prison. Here you’ll be taking classes and relearning what it is to be an Omega in a nurturing environment. It’s more of a training facility really.” she shrugged.

Dean gave her an incredulous look. “Classes? Like what?” he asked, wrapping the thin blanket around his body.

The Beta smiled. “Cookery, baking, sewing, childcare. That sort of stuff. You even get a cute little certificate to show your Alpha once you get out if you’re a good boy. There’s even an exercise class to help you keep trim and looking good for your Alpha.” she giggled and winked and Dean wanted to throw up. “You’re allowed visits from your Alpha once a month so he can check on your progress, that’s when you can present him with the things you make for him in cookery or sewing class. They just love it and it really helps you to bond.”

What the fuck? Was this bitch crazy? Did she think he was a child or something? What was in that fucking stuff they gave him? Did he wake up in Narnia?

“ Lady, I’ve never even met my Alpha.” he said rolling his eyes.

She immediately looked concerned. “Your file was specific, your Alpha wants you taking all the classes available to you. He has concerns that you were raised in a less than desirable environment and you will need intense training in order to understand and accept your role.” she said, looking worried. “He obviously cares for you. He went to a lot of trouble to get you sent to this facility instead of a normal Omega prison.”

“ What is this place, exactly?” Dean asked, he’d expected something like what he’d seen on TV, hard-nosed prison officers and strung out shady looking Omegas, covered in tattoos who used cigarettes as currency.

“ This is Illinois rehabilitation centre. Your Alpha got his lawyers to convince the judge that you should serve your sentence here instead, that you had only broken the law because your father was an abusive drunk who didn’t teach you any better and that with the right environment, you would be a model citizen.” she repeated as if Dean was stupid.

Dean scowled. “Yeah, well. Your Dad was an abusive drunk.” he muttered moodily, pulling the blanket around himself protectively.

The guard shrugged. “Well, yeah. Why do you think I got into this line of work?” she said looking bored. “Anyway, you wanna eat? Your Alpha suggested you may benefit from a healthier diet. Your blood tests came back with crazy high sodium levels and a surprising amount of cholesterol, considering your age.”

Dean scowled. “Who is this guy? I don’t even know his name and he’s ruining my fucking life.” he murmured to himself.

The Beta frowned. “You don’t know who your Alpha is? I peeked at your admission papers and your approved visitors list. It’s Michael Novak, owner of NovaCorp. Weirdly enough, he has a younger brother who works here, it’s probably one of the reasons he got you in.”

  
  


*****************

Cas watched as the inmates filed into the wing and made their way to their cells before lunch. He had begun to feel odd an hour or so ago when he’d escorted one of the Omegas to the Medical wing. He felt uncomfortable, irritable and he had an itch in his nose like he was about to sneeze but couldn’t quite get there.

Perhaps he was coming down with something. It wouldn’t be unusual, in a place like this a bug would run rampant through the population in days. He finished his count, marking down the numbers on the clipboard and tucking his pen back into his breast pocket. He pulled at the collar of his shirt, it was feeling tight and he suddenly wanted nothing more than to strip off right there and then. His cheeks coloured a little at the thought.

He was uncharacteristically short with a few Omegas who were dragging their heels on the way to their cells, he barked at them to hurry up and stop gossiping as he followed them along the landing, locking the cells as he went. Ezra gave him an odd look and questioned whether he was alright. Cas told him he thought he was coming down with something and Ezra looked sympathetic and told him to ask Hannah if he could go home early. Cas shook his head, he wasn’t feeling that bad yet, maybe he’d ask later if he didn’t feel better.

He ate lunch in the officers lounge and found he was ravenous, he wolfed down the tray of lasagne and drank the soda within minutes, and found he was still hungry, so he spent a few dollars in the snack machine, buying some chips and wolfing those down too. Duma teased him about his appetite, and he blushed as his stomach rumbled for even more food. He laughed it off and lied that he had skipped breakfast that morning.

After the officers lunch, it was time for the inmates to eat and Cas felt a little dizzy as he smelled the food. He barely restrained himself from gazing longingly at the trays of lasagne and vegetables the inmates carried past him to the cafeteria tables.

His temper had slowly worsened and he was trying not to get annoyed at the chattering and giggles of the inmates.

After lunch, the inmates had more classes so he escorted his group over to the sewing room, leaving them and making his way back over to the officers lounge where he bought another bag of chips and ate them, washing them down with a can of soda. He felt a little better. A lot better actually, he felt energised, like he could run for hours and not stop. His muscles felt twitchy and he considered going down to the gym for a quick workout when Hannah called him over the radio.

“ _ Castiel, can you escort one of the new inmates to the laundry?” _

He sighed, he was supposed to be on a break while the inmates were in class.

“ Sure, who and where?” he answered.

“ _ Dean Winchester LAZ401, Medical wing. He just came out of heat. He’ll need an orientation tour too. Thanks, Castiel.”  _ said Hannah.

“ No, problem. Do we have anyone down there to sign him in?” he asked, worriedly. Thursdays were a problem staff-wise since some of the prison staff had been laid off a few months back. One of the reasons Cas and many of the other officers had been pulling double-duty shifts. It couldn’t go on much longer, something had to give. There would be a riot or a break out and Hannah and the officers would be blamed, even though they were all doing their best to plug the gaps left by the cuts.

“ _ No, sorry. You’ll have to wait with him. Then escort him up to the wing. He’s on the short term block. He’s been assigned a single cell.”  _ Hannah said, sounding genuinely sorry.

Cas sighed. Single cell inmates usually had a rich and powerful Alpha who made a “donation” to the prison officers pension fund. They were usually spoiled and demanding, and made trouble with the other inmates.

“ Thanks for the heads up.” Cas said, turning around to head for the medical wing for the second time that day.

When he arrived, he saw it was a hive of activity, the new inmates were coming out of their induced heats today and the staff were run off their feet tending to the exhausted Omegas.

It was something that Cas had always felt uncomfortable with. A forced heat without the inmate’s knowledge or permission felt wrong somehow. Omegas were told that they would go into heat due to proximity, instead they were given drugs to induce it. He had been assured that it was perfectly alright and was in the inmate’s best interests both mentally and physically. It basically hacked into the Omega’s instincts and forced them into nesting, which led them to be calmer and more compliant. They were happier and less likely to succumb to pining for their Alphas and children. Without their familiar scents, an Omega’s mental well-being tended to break down over time. He knew it was necessary, but still, it felt dishonest and underhanded.

One of the doctors, who was wearing a heatproof face mask like all of the staff in the medical wing, saw Cas and looked relieved. “Ah, Officer Novak. I take it you’re here to escort Dean down to the laundry. He’s almost ready. He’ll need to visit the commissary as well to pick up new nesting materials. I have a feeling his nesting period will go on longer than usual. We were very concerned during his heat, he was completely delirious and almost went feral. We had to sedate him more heavily than usual. He’s alright now though. His scent is probably still a little ripe, even after a shower, but that won't bother you, will it?” he joked, his voice sounded muffled through the mask.

Cas wasn’t listening, he was suddenly struggling not to throw up. He felt hot and his skin felt tight. He swayed on the spot and the doctor reached out to steady him.

“ Hey, you alright? You look flushed. Are you sick?” he asked, looking concerned.

Cas shook his head to clear it and felt only marginally better. “I think I’m coming down with something. I’ll take… uh, Dean? down to the laundry and then I’ll tell Hannah I have to go home. I’ll take a couple of aspirin if you have them in the meantime though, if you don’t mind? The smell in here is giving me a headache.” he said, frowning in confusion, it had never bothered him before, now the mix of scents was overwhelming, his mouth watered, presumably to prepare for the vomit threatening to come up.

The doctor nodded. “Sure, no problem. I guess even your meagre scenting abilities are a little grossed out by the heat scents of several Omegas at once. As a medical professional, I’m used to it, but even I wear a mask full-time after they hit day two, before it even peaks.” he chuckled and walked off.

Cas eyed the nearby bench and longed to sit down, but knew if he did, he may not get up again.

  
  


****************

Dean felt a lot better after a meal and a shower. He was dressed in the prison uniform of soft cotton pyjamas and slip-on shoes over white cotton socks. He had scowled at the pastel shades on offer, missing his favourite band shirts and jeans. He felt stupid and short in the ridiculous croc-like slippers and longed for his boots. He supposed his Dad had thrown them out by now. He’d worn a suit for his court appearance, provided by his new Alpha, who hadn’t even bothered to show up to see him sentenced.

In the paperwork Dean had managed to get a peek of, he’d been listed as “Alpha X”. The bastard was probably trying to keep his name out of the papers. Now he knew who he was, he wasn’t surprised. Michael Novak was old money, his family went all the way back to the pack days. They had been a pretty powerful pack even then, with territory that spanned half of Illinois before the enlightened age which saw an end to the pack system.

Sam and Bobby had also been arrested, Sam was let go as there was little proof he’d been involved, but Bobby was facing a possible five years in an Alpha jail. Dean felt a wave of guilt for the older Alpha’s plight. He’d tried to help Dean and got burned for it. Dean had tried to lie, saying that Bobby wasn’t involved, but the old man had admitted his guilt when they found the paraphernalia for making fake ID’s in his house with his fingerprints all over it.

John had turned up at his trial wearing a ridiculously expensive suit that was two sizes too big and stinking of booze and cigars. He was puffy and bloated, his skin yellow and waxen, as if he’d been on yet another bender, He still had faint bruises on his face from the beating Sam had given him. He had sneered at Dean, heckled him and laughed when he was sentenced to 5 years in jail. The judge wasn’t impressed and had bawled him out, threatening him with contempt of court if he didn’t shut his mouth. Sam was steaming and staring daggers at his father from across the courtroom. Dean could only guess what was going through his mind at the time.

John had indeed given them up, warning Michael that Dean wasn’t happy and telling him that he was probably planning to run. He told him exactly where he was, that Dean had gone to Bobby for help. Michael had placed someone to watch the house, telling him of the comings and goings. Dean had even been followed right up to the border, completely unaware of his tail. Sam’s false trail had been pointless, they’d always known where Dean was. He never stood a chance of crossing the border.

Sam had tried to argue on his behalf, stating that John was an unfit Alpha, that he had been drunk when he signed the contract and questioned the validity of it under those grounds. That Dean had been forced into the situation because of it. But when questioned, John had sworn he was sober when he signed. He knew he wasn’t the best Alpha and was struggling to care for him, so he had given Dean to an Alpha who could. What better proof of a loving father could there be? Giving up a much-loved and precious child to an Alpha who was guaranteed to give Dean the things he needed. Besides, at 24, Dean was far older than the age most Omegas were mated. John was just doing his duty as a loving father, and securing his son's future. Blah blah blah.

Sam had almost wept when the judge and jury swallowed the bullshit John was feeding them. His scent had been the worst smell Dean had ever experienced. A mixture of rage, sorrow and grief. He never wanted to experience that smell ever again in his life, especially from his brother.

When they had pronounced him guilty and the judge had immediately handed down a sentence of 5 years, Sam had lost it. He had lunged for their father, teeth bared and snarling before being dragged outside to cool off. Dean hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye.

Later, in the holding cells, an Alpha lawyer in a fancy suit had come to visit him. He had been all smiles and cockiness, introduced himself as Crowley, acting on behalf of Dean’s Alpha, and told Dean he had managed to get the judge to commute the sentence to six months, after introducing evidence that John was indeed a poor excuse for an Alpha who had raised Dean in less than stellar circumstances. He had argued that with guidance, Dean would stand a better chance of behaving as a “proper Omega”. Whereas five years in jail would waste Deans fertility and destroy any chance of his new Alpha forming a proper bond with him.

Dean was grateful, but balked at the reasons. Crowley had just shrugged. “Look, do you want to do hard time or not, mate? This was the best deal you were ever gonna get. A thank you might be nice.” had been his answer, before he had left Dean all alone, still wondering who his mysterious Alpha was.

Well, now he knew. He wondered why someone like Michael would even be interested in someone like Dean, let alone want to mate him, considering the trouble he was having to go to on Dean’s behalf. He wondered what his father had got out of the deal, and how he’d even known someone like Michael.

He felt tense, and knew it was because he needed to nest. He was having trouble letting go of the thin blanket that was all he had woken up with. His skin felt a size too small and his knee wouldn’t stop bouncing. He had run his hands through his hair so many times it was standing on end. It was already super fluffy without his usual pomade. It was bad enough being locked up, but now he had to suffer bad hair as well? It was the fucking cherry on the shit sundae that was his life.

The door to his room opened and a different, much shorter beta stood in the doorway. “Winchester, your escort’s here to take you down to the laundry. You’ll be working there three days a week while you’re here, so better familiarise yourself with it. You need to wash the sheets and towels you used while you were in heat, and pick up some fresh sheets and towels so you can nest. I can almost see your skin crawling with the urge. It must be killing you right now not to have anything to snuggle down into.” he said, clearly amused, though at what Dean had no idea. The guy was a creep. He looked at Dean like he could see through his clothes. Suddenly, he felt the need for another shower.

“ I’ll take it from here, Marv, Stop annoying the inmates.” said a deep, gravelly voice from behind the Beta.

A tall, dark haired officer stepped into sight and Dean smirked as Marv shrank back a little. The smirk dying on his face as the officer stared down at him, his gaze never wavering. Marv pouted and waddled off and the officer turned to look at Dean and..

Whoa. Blue.

Dean was almost struck dumb by how crazy blue the guy’s eyes were. He skimmed his eyes over the rest of the guy and he was pretty cute, he certainly filled out the uniform, that was for sure. He was broad and solid looking. Dean would have said the guy was an Alpha, but he had to be a Beta or an Unpresented to be working here. The next thing he noticed was that the guy was clearly unwell. He was flushed, his eyes were glassy and he was sweating. The collar of his blue shirt was damp and he swayed a little on the spot.

For some reason, Dean felt concerned for the guy. “Hey, man. You okay? You don’t look so good.” he said, sitting forward with a worried expression.

The guy just frowned. “It’s nothing, I’ll be fine.” he said dismissively “Let’s get you down to the laundry.” he said, indicating for Dean to follow him.

Dean stood up and followed the guy, he caught a whiff of something spicy and his mouth watered in response, but it was gone again so fast he thought he’d imagined it.

The guy must be wearing some kick-ass cologne or something. Dean had never smelled anything like it. It wasn’t like he was about to shove his face in the guy’s neck or anything, but he wouldn’t mind smelling it again.

He followed the guy out into the corridor where a covered bin was marked with  **_D WINCHESTER_ ** on a paper label. The medical wing door closed behind them and Dean heard the lock engage with a  _ clang _ .

“ You’ll need to push this down to the laundry. Omegas are expected to clean their own heat things. It prevents the pheromones messing with anybody else’s cycle, and it-” the guy's gravelly voice cut off and he swayed again, closing his eyes.

“ Dude, you really don’t look well. Maybe I should go get someone?” Dean said, looking around desperately. Before realising they were in a building of locked doors and he couldn’t go anywhere.

The guy opened his eyes again and his pupils were blown out a little. “No, I’ll be fine. Let’s just get to the laundry.” he said, straightening up and heading off down the corridor.

Dean rolled his eyes and followed, pushing the bin on it’s squeaky wheels.

They went through two locked gates and down another long corridor before they arrived at another gate. The guy hadn’t spoken again and Dean wasn’t really inclined to talk anyway.

As the guy opened the gate, Dean caught a whiff of that spicy scent again. This time it was stronger, much stronger. Suddenly all he wanted was to get more of that scent, he detected something citrusy in there as well and he was reminded of mandarins and sandalwood. The gate opened and Dean had to shake his head to clear it so he could push the bin through.

“ This is it.” the guy said, making Dean jump as he pushed open a large swinging door into a room filled with machines.

Dean pushed the bin in and looked around, he was trying to figure out where to start when he heard a gasp behind him.

He turned to see the officer standing ramrod straight, his eyes wide as sweat poured off him, he was scenting the air and swallowing over and over.

“ You- your scent. I can scent you!” the guy said in surprise. “Fresh cut grass and lemons.”

Dean’s own eyes widened. “You couldn’t scent before?” he asked cautiously.

The guy shook his head. “No, I- I’m Unpresented.” he said flatly, but he looked afraid suddenly.

Dean stepped forward and was hit by that gorgeous scent again, he felt his own body respond and he scented the air deeply. “Holy shit!” he exclaimed.

The guy staggered forward into Dean’s space, his glassy eyes were flicking between Dean’s neck and his lips. “I want- Oh my god, I actually... want!” he said looking down in shock.

Dean followed his eyes down and gasped at the huge erection the guy was sporting.

Dean and the guy both looked up at the same time, their eyes met and Dean realised what this meant. “Holy fuck, you’re my true mate. You’re presenting! You’re going into rut, dude!” he exclaimed, excitement bubbling up that this was really happening.

The officer stepped forward again and pressed his nose into the crease between Deans neck and shoulder, scenting deeply. He let out a growl, probably the first growl of his life, followed by “Mine.” Yep, the guy was definitely a full- blown Alpha. In rut.

Dean felt like his veins were filled with electricity, that gorgeous scent was filling his head, muddling his senses and if he wasn’t mistaken, trying to throw his body into another heat. It was too soon after the last one and he was too weak, but it was trying anyway.

Dean could feel the guy’s boner digging into his hip as he was pressed against the table behind him. He pushed the guy back for a moment, trying to slow things down.

“ Whoa, big guy. Hang on a moment.” he said shakily. He could see the Alpha was losing it and fast. This was this guy’s first ever rut and he wasn’t going to have control very much longer.

The Alpha growled, long low and deep, sending a shiver up Dean’s spine. For a moment Dean considered letting the guy take him there and then and fuck the consequences. But Dean belonged to another Alpha, who would definitely not be happy about this. He’d probably force Dean to go through painful surgery to reverse the mating and have his true mate thrown in jail for rape. They would be separated forever. No, they had to be smart about this. Now they had found each other, Dean wasn’t letting go so easy. This Alpha was  _ his. _

The Alpha growled again, his canines had already extended a little as he suddenly leaned in and kissed him. Dean melted immediately and any lingering doubts that this was his true mate vanished, it was like coming home. He felt the Alpha’s hand on the back of his head and whined, making the Alpha press against him again, his huge erection rubbing against Dean’s now also hard cock. Dean could feel himself starting to lose it too. He had to do something and fast or- oh! The bastard was nipping at his neck, right on that little spot below his ear. He whined and arched against the Alpha needily.

The Alpha was now rubbing up against him with intent. Dean broke the kiss and weakly pushed the Alpha away, making him growl.

“ Please, Babe, you have to stop, we can’t do this now.” Dean said breathlessly.

The Alpha tilted his head in confusion. “Do what? I don’t understand, what is happening?” he said, his breath coming out in pants, his eyes glazed over.

Dean took the Alphas face into both hands. “We’re true mates. You’re presenting, going into rut. You’re a full-blown Alpha now,  _ my _ Alpha.” he said proudly. He knew nothing about this guy, just that he was  _ his. _

The guy just looked more confused and Dean realised the guy was gone, lost in the haze of hormones of a first rut as a full-grown adult. He felt panic as the Alpha pushed him down on the table and began kissing him again, his hands roaming all over him. Jesus, he was so  _ strong.  _ He was becoming more insistent, pulling at Dean’s clothes muttering “Mine” over and over again and Dean was finding it harder and harder to resist. His own hands mapping out the Alpha’s back and squeezing the man’s spectacular ass before he could stop himself. He felt a wave of shame, the guy wasn’t in control, he had no idea what was happening to him. He needed to stop this.

It was time for drastic measures. He scrabbled around for a moment before his hand landed on a scrub stone. He closed his hands around it and whispered. “I’m so sorry, babe. You have no idea how much.” before he brought the stone down heavily on the Alphas head, knocking him out cold.

The Alpha slumped down, sprawled on top of him on the table top. Dean felt like crying. He had hurt his Alpha. He’d just met the guy, but hurting him felt wrong down to his very bones.

He sat up and guided the Alpha to the ground, wincing at the tiny wound on his temple. It was bleeding, but not too bad, there would probably be a small bruise, and he wouldn’t need stitches. He’d seen his father come home with worse, and that bastard was still above ground. He figured the Alpha would be out for a little while yet though, the poor guy was going to have a rough time of it.

Going into the first rut was tough. He remembered Sam’s first rut at 13 and how he’d literally destroyed his room. Then grimaced at the thought of a full-grown man experiencing his first rut, and by meeting his true mate, no less. It was gonna be torture, going from no sex drive to a raging, hormone driven, sex maniac overnight. That must mess with someone’s head a little bit. No wonder he’d lost himself.

He took a moment to look him over. The sharp jawline and full lips were a major plus. His eyelashes were almost as long and thick as his own, but the tips were blond, as were his eyebrows which were thicker than they first appeared. He was probably blond as a kid. He had a couple of tiny scars, a faint one on his upper lip and another one on his jaw, as well as an old piercing on his left earlobe. So, he’d had an earring at some point. There was a little bit of a rebel in there somewhere. His appreciation for his Alpha went up a couple of notches. He tenderly brushed a lock of hair off his forehead.

“ I’m so sorry, babe. I had to do it. You were losin’ it and we can’t do this now, not like this.” he said sadly. “They’d take you away from me, we’d never see each other again. We gotta be smart about this. Now that I’ve found you, I intend to keep you. Once you tell me your name, anyway.” he chuckled.

He looked around and saw the industrial Omega heat blocker spray and got an idea.

His hand shook as he loosened the Alpha’s tie and unbuttoned his shirt, revealing gorgeous olive skin that Dean desperately wanted to put his mouth on. His scent was so much stronger now, it was making Dean’s head spin.

He stood up and grabbed the blocker, then returned to the Alpha and after covering his face, liberally sprayed him with it, across his chest, neck and even under the arms. The spray was used to completely block the smell of an Omega in heat, it would have no problem covering a newly rutting Alpha. Even Dean could barely detect any scent now.

He sighed as he realised he had one more place to spray. He felt awful, and like the worst kind of creep ever, but it needed to be done. He needed to douse the guy's crotch to completely cover up the rut smell. Once he was away from Dean’s proximity, the rut would calm down and he’d be more in control until it peaked in a couple of days, but he needed to do this until then. He gulped as he looked at the bulge in the guy’s pants, it was going down, thank God.

He took a deep breath for courage and began unbuckling the Alpha’s belt, being careful not to brush against.. anything. He tried to be as efficient and clinical as he could as he unsnapped his pants and lifted them and his boxers away from his body while turning his head away and blushing furiously. “Sorry, babe. This might sting a little.” he whispered.

He sprayed the blockers down the guy’s pants, making the Alpha whimper as the freezing cold spray made contact with his junk. He sprayed as little as he could get away with and let go of the guy’s pants, snapping them against his flat, toned stomach. “Oh God, I’m so sorry, I swear, I didn’t peek.” he said guiltily.

He felt like crying again. This whole situation was cruel. He was virtually assaulting the guy whilst he was unconscious. He was an awful human being. He was going to hell. The bad one. The one reserved for creeps and people that doubled-dipped tortilla chips.

He hurriedly re-dressed the Alpha, straightening his clothes and rolling him on his side in the recovery position. He saw a couple of pens in the Alpha’s breast pocket, and chuckled as he realised the dork had a pocket protector for fucks sake.

He looked around for something to write on and spotted a clipboard with a few count sheets on it. He figured it would have to do. He took it down, turned the paper over and scrawled a quick note to his Alpha.

  
  


**_Alpha,_ **

**_My name is Dean Winchester and I am your true mate. You went into rut and I had to resort to drastic measures to prevent us mating in the laundry room._ **

**_Don’t worry, you didn’t hurt me. I just couldn’t get through to you._ **

**_Please believe me when I say that I needed to do it this way for reasons I will explain later. Just know, I am_ ** **_not_ ** **_rejecting you. I want my true mate more than anything. I just want you forever, so we have to be smart about this. My Alpha is a powerful man, he will take me away from you. We have to keep this a secret until we can figure out a way to be together. If you want me that is. I don’t really know what that means for me if you don’t._ **

**_I am going to tell them you fell and hit your head. I sprayed you with Omega heat spray to disguise your new Alpha scent, which by the way, is amazing. You smell like home, Alpha. You smell like mine. Use the Omega heat spray every day so no-one will know that you presented. That way you won’t lose your job and we can see each other. I know it’s a lot to ask, but the chance to be with my true mate is too good to pass up._ **

**_Your Omega, Dean xx_ **

He folded the letter, and before he thought better of it, quickly rubbed the paper over his neck to scent it, before pushing it deep into the Alpha’s pants pocket.

He reached for the Alpha’s radio, unhooking it from the clip on his belt. The Alpha groaned and stirred, and Dean brushed his face gently and lovingly.

“ Shhh, babe. It’s okay. I’m gonna call for help. Just stay still.” he ordered softly. The Alpha obeyed and settled again.

Dean took a few seconds to take a few quick breaths in and out, trying to force himself to hyperventilate so he sounded as scared as possible. He was about to do the performance of a lifetime.

He lifted the radio to his face and pressed the ‘talk’ button.

“ Hello? Is there anyone there? I need help!” he said, trying to sound as helpless and meek as he could.

A few seconds later a voice answered.

“ _ Who is this? Why do you have Officer Novak’s radio?” _

Dean injected a little relief into his voice. “Oh, thank God. My name is Dean, I need help. Please, help me!” he said. Fuck, they said Novak? Damn. That just made things really messy. His true mate was his legal Alpha’s brother. Shit. But at least he had a partial name for his Alpha now. He smiled.

“ _ What’s going on? Where is Officer Novak? _ ” the voice answered angrily.

Dean pushed a few tears out and tried his best to sound as if he was crying. “I think he fell and hit his head. He looked pretty sick and I turned around and he was on the floor. His head is bleeding! He won’t wake up, I don’t know what to do!” he said, trying not to laugh at how thick he was laying it on.

“ _ What? Is he breathing?”  _ the voice asked worriedly, the tone more gentle than before.

Dean grinned. They were buying it, he could tell. “Uhm, yes. He’s breathing, but his head is bleeding and he’s unconscious, what do I do?” he asked, purposely pitching his voice higher in order to sound scared.

The voice answered in a calm and soothing tone.  _ “Do you know what the recovery position is, Dean?” _

“ Yeah, that’s on his side, right? I can do that!” he said, sounding relieved to have some instructions to follow. He pressed his lips together to keep from laughing as he let go of the talk button. The Alpha stirred again, mumbling a little and Dean soothed him.

“ Shhh, Babe. I’m getting help. Don’t hurt yourself.” he soothed.

“ _ Make sure his airway is clear, just tilt his head back a little.”  _ the voice instructed.

Dean waited a little longer, just gazing at his Alpha.

“ _ Dean? I’m seeing on the schedule that Officer Novak was escorting you to the laundry, are you both still there? Dean?”  _ the voice asked. “ _ I’m sending help now. Answer me, Dean. Dean?” _

Dean lifted the radio to his face.

“ Hello? Sorry, it took me a minute to turn him, he’s really heavy.” Dean said, trying to sound breathless. “Yeah, we’re in the laundry. We had just got here and he was lookin’ real sick. I was tryin’ to figure out where to start and I heard a noise, I turned around and he was on the floor.” he pretend babbled. “I was so scared.”

“ _ Someone is on their way now, Dean. it’ll be okay.”  _ the voice soothed. “ _ You did the right thing.” _

“ Okay, should I do anything else? His head is bleeding a little bit. You think he’ll be okay?” he asked, surprising himself with how much he really did need the reassurance.

“ _ I’m sure it’s minor, Dean. Don’t worry, we’ll take care of him.”  _ the voice reassured. “ _ Just sit in the submissive pose until they get there.” _

Dean scowled. The fucking submissive pose would be agony on his knees on this concrete floor.

“ Okay.” he said into the radio, rolling his eyes and crawling a little nearer to the Alpha.

He heard a clang as the outer gate opened and closed and he quickly assumed the submissive pose, on his knees, hands spread on his thighs, fingers splayed, head down and ankles crossed. The radio was placed on the floor in front of him.

He heard running footsteps outside the door and allowed his eyes to fill with tears.

Time to earn a fucking Oscar.

  
  
  


***************

  
  


Castiel woke up in the medical wing. His head was throbbing, but it was clear. He groaned and sat up.

“ Hey! Careful there.” said the doctor, stepping over. He looked exhausted and frazzled through the heatproof mask covering most of his face. Dealing with a dozen Omega’s in heat for a week would do that to someone.

Cas groaned and touched his head gingerly. “What happened?” he asked, squinting and blinking at the light.

“ Looks like you keeled over in the laundry. Why didn’t you say how sick you were? Your head isn’t too bad, you were already coming around by the time we got you here.” the doctor said, coming over and shining a light in Castiel’s eyes.

Castiel slapped him away with a grimace. “It wasn’t that bad.” he dismissed, swinging his legs around in order to get up.

The doctor rolled his eyes. “Look, I know I’m fresh out of med school, but if you keel over, I’d say it was bad enough. I’m signing you off for a week. No coming to work before then. Hannah called your brother, he’s on his way to pick you up.” he said, writing something on a chart.

Castiel groaned. Gabriel was going to be unbearable. The last time Castiel had been sick, Gabe had invited himself to stay and smothered him so much, Castiel had gone back to college early and given half of his class the flu.

“ You were lucky, the inmate, um.. Dean Winchester? Yeah, Dean. He used your radio to call for help. You’re just lucky he didn’t use your nightstick instead.” the doctor joked.

Castiel froze.  _ Dean. _ Oh God. He was remembering something. The smell of fresh cut grass and lemons. He almost gasped aloud as he remembered the all consuming need he’d had to.. take. Like his blood was on fire and Dean was the soothing balm. The details were fuzzy, but he remembered.. kissing? He’d never kissed anyone before. His heart began beating fast as more and more details came back. Why had he been kissing an inmate? What the hell was going on?

The answer hit him like a tonne of bricks. Dean was his true mate. He’d finally presented. Oh, God. What if he had.. No. He hadn’t knotted Dean. He was sure he would remember that. He had to get to him, he had to make sure-

“ Castiel? You’re looking a little flushed again. I can’t do much for you here, we’re understaffed and we’ve got few supplies. I suggest you see your own doctor as soon as you can.” the doctor interrupted his chain of thought and stalled his panic.

“ Dean. Is he- He’s alright?” Castiel asked, worriedly.

The doctor looked puzzled. “He was a little shaken up. Pretty scared for you actually, but he took care of you until we got there.”

A nurse leaned in the doorway. “Doctor, one of the inmates is reacting badly to the stimulus solution. We need you.” she said urgently.

The doctor placed the chart on the table. “Dammit. There’s always one that fights it. Push some more fluids, tell them I’m on my way.” he said, sounding tired. He looked over at Castiel. “Look, from what I can tell, you’re alright. The wound is minor, but if you start feeling sick or dizzy, go to an ER. No driving, plenty of rest and fluids. I have to go, see you when you get back, bye!” With that he hurried out of the room.

Castiel was still reeling. He had finally presented. He had a true mate. Fuck, he wasn’t sick after all, he was in rut. He wanted to laugh, but he was terrified. What the hell was he supposed to do now?

He wasn’t feeling too bad at the moment. It wasn’t like the stories, he didn’t feel like humping anything that moved, and there were no violent urges. He ran his tongue over his teeth, his canines were retracted. He didn’t feel like a mindless, sex-crazed monster. But it was only the first day, or maybe he only went into rut around his mate? He needed answers.

He patted himself down, looking for his phone to Google for some information and felt some paper crinkle in his pocket. He frowned and reached into his pocket to pull it out. He unfolded it and read it, his eyes welling up.

He read it again and detected a slight scent on the paper, he sniffed it and smiled. Dean wanted him! His true mate. His Omega. He suddenly knew he would do whatever it took for them to be together. 


	4. Hurry up and wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> Welcome to all new readers. I hope you are liking it so far. Let me know what you think in the comments.   
> Thank you for all of the comments and kudos, and for so many bookmarks too. It's nice to see people invested in my work. 
> 
> Have a good weekend, next chapter is Monday!

**Chapter Four. Hurry up and wait.**

Dean leaned on the railing on the landing outside of his cell. Several Omegas had been to visit him, trying to scope him out and see where he fit in the pecking order. He’d expected it. What he hadn’t expected was to get a cell on his own and a line of credit at the commissary. He supposed Michael was responsible for that. By inmate standards, he was rich beyond his wildest dreams.

He had bought a few chocolate bars and shared them with a couple of Omegas on his landing. Might as well make nice with the neighbours, after all. He’d swapped a whole carton of sodas for a shitty, old radio cassette player. He’d have to write to Sam and ask him to send some tapes. He’d also gotten a couple of notepads and pens and a book of stamps. He had his eye on a retro Gameboy one of the other inmates had been playing in the rec room the other night. Rumour had it that they were out of here soon and wouldn’t need it any more, he’d have to figure out what he could offer for it. It looked like they had a rich Alpha Daddy on the outside to give them a line of credit at the commissary too.

“ Yo, Winchester. Got a name on the visitors log for you today and you got a letter, Amigo.” said Ash, one of the Beta officers who was handing out mail to the eager Omegas. He was a pretty chill dude, he mostly left the Omegas to it. But he was always paired with another guard named Abbie who was a real bitch. She loved to throw her weight around and nothing got past her ever watchful eyes.

Dean ambled over slowly and took his already opened letter, he scanned the handwriting and grinned. Sam had written twice in as many days already. He had written half of it in code, disguised as inane gossip. From which Dean had gleaned that Sam was investigating Michael to see what they were up against and that he hadn’t given up on freeing Dean.

Opening the newest letter eagerly, he scanned the contents and quickly deciphered the code. Sam had something to tell him, and he needed to tell him in person. It was likely that he’d found something they could use. That was probably Sam on the visitors list today. If it was something shady, they could possibly use it to blackmail Michael and get Dean out of the contract. Now he’d found his true mate, he was even more sure that he was never going to be Michael’s bitch.

He refolded the letter and pushed it into his pocket. He strolled back over to his cell and sat down on his bed, reaching over to switch on his radio. He’d found a hard rock radio station, the reception was patchy and it dipped in and out occasionally, but it was better than nothing. As long as he kept it low and didn’t disturb the other inmates, it made the long nights bearable.

He wondered how his Alpha was doing, he’d be coming out of rut soon. He couldn’t wait to see him. He wished he had a token for his nest. Maybe he’d ask him for one. Something that was loaded with his scent that he could place in his nest and fall asleep dreaming of his mate. It was killing him not knowing if his Alpha wanted him or not.

He wished he could tell Sammy about him. But his letters were almost definitely being monitored, he could only hope he got a moment to tell him later when he wasn’t being watched too closely. He couldn’t afford for anyone here to find out, Novak would lose his job and they would never see each other again. Dean rubbed his chest at the ache that bloomed at the thought of that happening.

The fact that his true mate was the brother of his legal Alpha bothered him a lot. What if Novak decided to give him up because of his brother? What if any plans they made failed and he ended up mated to the brother of his true mate? Maybe he could get some information on Michael from Novak to help them though. He had a lot to think about and nothing but time.

  
  


**************

Castiel panted as he came down from yet another orgasm. His chest heaving as he massaged the knot on his penis, riding out the aftershocks.

How had he managed all these years without orgasms? They were the greatest thing ever. He groaned and reached for a towel to mop up the considerable mess on his stomach and chest.

Thinking about the research he had done once he’d finally been able to get rid of Gabe. He knew he had probably less than a day of his rut left. Once he was away from Dean, it had calmed down considerably. But he had still wrecked his house in frustration at his missing Omega a few times when he was deep in the rut. The only thing that had calmed him down was the faint scent on the letter. He kept it on his bedside table in a plastic wallet to try to conserve as much of the scent as possible.

He had a hazy memory of Dean’s face, he had thought at the time that he was beautiful, but he had been going into rut at the time, so his mind may have been playing tricks on him. He tried to remember the colour of his eyes, but couldn’t and he felt sad about that. He should know the colour of his mate’s eyes at least. He wanted to know Dean’s favourite colour, his favourite food too. He’d learn to cook and perfect it so that when Dean came home, he would make it for him. He felt warm all over at the thought of providing a home for his Omega.

Between rut cycles when his mind was clear, he had ordered some supplies online. Omega heat spray, some lube, an Alpha fleshlight and a couple of porn movies. He had also ordered a couple of sex manuals.

Alright, maybe his mind wasn’t  _ that _ clear and was still on only one track, but he was sure those items would come in useful at some point. He wanted to please his Omega once they found a way to be together after all.

He had also looked for any articles on Dean’s trial. He found nothing, which was odd. Omega’s rarely went to jail and when they did, it was usually worthy of at least a few articles.

Mostly he researched the true mate phenomenon. They definitely existed, every study had agreed. But they were so rare that very few studies had actually been done. He read page after page of articles published and found many similarities with him and Dean.

He worried about how they were going to pull off this ruse. Could he really do this, just pretend he hadn’t presented. Not tell anyone? He was terrible at lying, Gabriel had always told him he sucked at it.

He considered telling Gabe, but he knew his brother would never let him hear the end of it. He’d never betray him, but he’d just get so  _ involved. _ He just had no sense of boundaries. He’d bombard him with advice. Graphic,  _ explicit _ advice that would make it difficult to look Kali in the eye ever again. He’d buy things just to embarrass him, like the things Cas had ordered the other night. It was one thing buying them yourself, but your brother buying them for you was mortifying. Speaking of which, he’d have to hide those things before Gabe came over. He was a terrible snoop and explaining to him how and why he had those things would be difficult.

He finished cleaning up and grimaced, he really needed a shower and now was probably the best time to do that before his rut cycled up again. But he was also hungry. Very hungry, but he had very little in the way of food left in the house. He picked up his phone and quickly ordered a pizza. There, he could have a quick shower, masturbate while he was in there to save time and be out in time to pay the pizza man.

He was getting the hang of this.

  
  


**********

  
  


Dean was doing his best not to show how excited he was to see his brother. He was still keeping up the act of shy, demure but misguided Omega in order to keep below the radar. Drawing attention to himself was the last thing he needed right now. He was nodding acquaintances with a couple of people on his landing, but he hadn’t made any friends yet. The other inmates were still sussing him out, working out where he fit.

The officers were aware of him, the fact he had helped one of their own went in his favour with them and a couple of them had even thanked him. That wouldn’t win him any friends with the inmates, it marked him out with them in a bad way. But he knew he’d win them over eventually. He had a knack for charming people without them realising it.

The klaxon went off for visiting hour and he had to restrain himself from running to line up with the rest of the Omegas who were waiting to be led down to the visitors hall. He stood behind a big guy who looked over at Dean and grinned.

“ So, what are you in for?” he asked.

Dean raised an eyebrow and stared back at the guy. “Isn’t that a taboo question?” he said, looking bemused.

The short guy shrugged. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours...” he trailed off with a laugh.

Dean shrugged. “Okay, I’m Dean. Possession of falsified documents. Possession of a banned substance. Attempting to travel with a false passport. A couple of other minor charges were dropped. Got five years, commuted to six months, so my Alpha gets to take advantage of my fertility.” he said, with a disgusted grimace.

The other guy looked amused. “You ran, right? Tried to cross the border?” he guessed.

Dean nodded and sighed. “Yeah. How’d you guess?” he said sarcastically.

The guy just laughed. “I’m Jesse. I got a year for stealing a horse from an Alpha.” he said, grinning.

Dean sputtered out a laugh. “A  _ horse? _ ” he said disbelieving. “What the fuck, man? Don’t they have cars where you’re from?” he laughed.

Jesse shrugged, his eye twinkling. “Oh, I burned down his house and barn too. They couldn’t prove that one, but I was riding the horse when they caught me.” he chuckled. “I didn’t want the poor horse to die, just because her owner was a shitty Alpha.” he said, bitterness souring the end of his story.

“ Your Alpha?” Dean asked hesitantly.

Jesse frowned. “No way. My Cesar is a treasure. No, my little brother’s Alpha. He killed him. Thought he was sneaking birth control because he wasn’t getting pregnant. Turns out my brother was carrying when he died. The bastard killed his mate and child and got away with it because he told them my brother threw himself down the stairs.” he said angrily.

Dean blew out a breath. “Jesse, man. That’s awful. I’m sorry.” he said, genuinely sickened by Jesse’s story.

Jesse brightened. “My Alpha, Cesar. He went about it a different way. He ruined him financially instead and bought up the bastard’s farm for peanuts. He didn’t even get enough to pay his debts.” he sneered.

Dean gave him an approving look. “Sounds like your Alpha is a good guy.” he said softly.

Jesse smiled. “Yeah, I definitely got a good one. He’s running our farm all by himself and still manages to get out here to see me every week. We’re gonna start a family once I get out.” he confided.

Dean beamed. “That’s great, man. I’m happy for you.”

The line began to shift forward and Jesse turned and followed them, Dean straightened up and shuffled forward with everyone else. Jesse looked back.

“ What about your Alpha? He’s an asshole, I take it?” he asked quietly.

Dean shrugged. “Probably. I’ve never actually met the guy. My Dad sold me to him, so I ran. Didn’t wanna get mated to a stranger that bought me, y’know?” he said, wrinkling his nose.

Jesse grimaced. “Yeah, that sucks. Your Dad sounds like an asshole too. But who buys an Omega, without even meeting them first?”

Dean shrugged. “I guess I’ll find out.” he said quietly.

Jesse waved to another Omega further down the line. “That’s Kevin. He’s in here with his Mom. They got caught forging an Alpha’s signature for Kevin to go to some fancy school. He’s super smart, but his Mom, Linda, is scary. I like her, but I wouldn’t want to get on her bad side, Y’know?” Jesse whispered. “There’s a few of us who hang out at lunch, you should join us sometime.” he offered.

Dean smiled. “Yeah, that sounds good. I’ll do that.” he said, looking forward to where the line was now almost to the door of the visitors hall.

“ Okay, new inmates. Rules are, no touching, no passing anything and no moving from the table. Keep to your seats until you are called away. Any breaking the rules and your visit is immediately over, understood?” An officer yelled out over the excited chatter of the Omegas.

There was a murmur of an answer.

“ Okay. When you enter the room, you’ll be given a table number, you will go straight to it and sit down, okay?”

Dean was struggling to contain his excitement. In just a few moments he would be seeing Sammy and hopefully getting an update on the plan to free Dean, if not from jail, then the contract which was far worse.

Jesse went in ahead and waved at a dark haired Alpha who was seated at a table. The Alpha, who Dean assumed was Cesar, waved back and his face lit up as he saw his mate. Dean felt a slight stab of jealousy at their easy relationship and obvious mutual respect.

Dean looked around the room, Sammy would be easy to spot, with his height and long hair, he tended to stand out. He was given his table number and looked over and his heart sank as he saw his father sitting there instead with a sly grin on his face.

Dean dragged his heels over to the table and slumped into it heavily, scowling at his father.

“ What the fuck do you want?” he hissed quietly.

John’s shit eating grin vanished and he sneered. “Is that any way to talk to your Alpha?” he said nastily.

Dean sneered back. “You aren’t my Alpha any more, you sold me, remember? So, I’ll ask one more time, What the fuck do you want?”

John laughed. “Look at you, a week in jail and you’ve got the attitude of a lifer. I came to see how you’re getting on. Can’t a father check on his son’s welfare?” he said with a smirk.

“ Sure they can. You can’t. Don’t ever visit me again.” Dean said, lifting his hand to get the attention of the officer.

“ Dean, wait. I wanted to put things right between us. Your Alpha is a rich, powerful man, who will look after you. I’m not sorry for making sure of that. I just want to be in your life. Make sure he treats you right. We can be a family.” John said, a slight whine in his voice.

Dean gave his father an incredulous look. “What the fuck, Dad? You  _ sold _ me. Your firstborn son. You treated me like shit since I presented, sold me, and now you want to play happy families? No way.” he snapped, his voice rising, along with his anger.

John scowled. “How can you complain? I kept a roof over your head, I fed you, clothed you. I found you a rich mate who can look after us- you properly.” he growled.

Dean scoffed. “You kept a roof over my head, fed me and clothed me because you have to do those things by law. It’s the bare fucking minimum, you asshole. And you sold me out of pure spite and greed.” he snarled back. Then a look of realisation came over his face and he sat back and sighed.

“ I just figured out why you’re here. You’ve already spent what he gave you, haven’t you? Now you think cosying up to me will get you closer to him so you can try mooching off him, right? You’re not even trying to be subtle, man.” he laughed as John looked scared for a moment.

“ Jokes on you, I’ve never even met him. But I’ll be willing to bet anything he’ll tell you to fuck off, you fucking  _ leech _ .” he stood up and held up his hand, waiting for an officer to come over. “I mean it, don’t come here again. I’m gonna write to my Alpha and have you taken off the approved list.” he snarled as John sat open-mouthed on the other side of the table.

An officer approached. “Everything okay here?” they asked, quizzically.

Dean shook his head. “No, it’s not. Can I go back to my cell please?” he asked, his eyes filling with tears. He felt mortified and more disappointed than he’d ever been in his life.

John gave a long-suffering sigh. “Here he goes with the waterworks. Trying to make out I’m a bad father for doing what’s best for my son. Fucking baby.” he said irritably.

The officer gave John a hard look before replying. “Of course, let me just find someone to escort you. Are you unwell?” she asked softly.

Dean shook his head, not trusting his voice to speak. The officer took his arm and walked him away from the table and John’s presence.

Dean turned to see John being almost pulled from the chair by two very large Beta’s and escorted from the room. He knew better than to put up more than a token fuss, but he couldn’t leave without a little Alpha posturing.

“ You ungrateful little bastard! I should have just sold you to a whorehouse. You’re worthless, you hear me? Worthless!” he screamed in front of everyone in the room who looked on open-mouthed. Dean wanted to die. John wasn’t saying anything he hadn’t before, but he’d never done it so publicly.

The officer gave him a sympathetic look and took him into a side room.

“ Here sweetie, sit here for a minute. I’m just gonna go outside and use the radio, okay? Don’t you worry.” she said gently.

Dean nodded and folded himself into the small couch and covered his face as he cried.

The officer patted him on the shoulder comfortingly and left the room.

John had always been a shitty excuse for a human being, but this was a new low, even for him. The bastard had probably been on a bender since the day he’d signed the contract and had blown through the money Michael had given him. Without Dean’s wage coming in (the only reason he’d allowed Dean to work in the first place) he was probably struggling to pay the bills.

The door opened and a kindly looking beta officer stepped in. “Hi, Dean is it? I was told your visitor upset you and caused a scene. Warden Hannah is having him removed from the premises and she is contacting your Alpha as we speak. Your Alpha was insistent when you came here that undoing your father’s influence was to be a priority for your rehabilitation, so I’m not sure how he got on the list to be honest. But we can promise that he won’t be coming back, his photograph and description will be distributed to the gate guards, so if he comes back, he’ll be turned away. Unless you change your mind.” she said, taking a seat opposite Dean.

Dean looked up at her. “So, I have a choice? I thought this was a prison?” he snarked, embarrassed over the whole situation.

The beta shrugged. “Sure it is. Except for your legal Alpha’s visits, you can choose who visits you if your Alpha approves them. Here, we concentrate very much on the rehabilitation of Omegas. Teaching them skills so they can be better Omegas, so they can either deepen the bond with their Alpha or make a good match when they are released. We try to give you an environment in which you can relearn to listen to those Omega instincts of yours.” she said softly.

“ I thought it was more along the lines of brainwashing us to accept our shitty lot in life.” he spat nastily.

The Beta gave him a sad, sympathetic look. “I’m sorry you feel that way. We really do just want the best for you.”

Dean curled in on himself. He wasn’t helping anything by lashing out, this situation was bringing more attention to himself, something he could ill afford. He needed to spin this to his advantage if he was going to give the impression of playing along.

“ I’m sorry. I know you’re just trying to help. My Dad- He’s not a good Alpha. Pretty toxic really. I shouldn’t let it get to me, but he knows how to press my buttons, y’know?” Dean apologised, knowing his scent was projecting enough misery and distress to sell it. It wasn’t like he was actually lying.

The Beta nodded. “Yes, Hopefully your Alpha can help undo some of the damage. We’ll do what we can here. You’ll be having twice weekly therapy sessions to help you understand and process the emotions his treatment of you has inspired. It’s not all cooking, sewing and childcare.” she joked.

Dean nodded miserably. Hoping his true mate was worth all of this.

  
  
  
  



	5. Well, this is awkward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves* 
> 
> Welcome to all the new readers, thank you so much for the comments and kudos. 
> 
> This chapter made me laugh out loud as I was writing it. I absolutely love writing Gabe. His personality is pretty similar to my own. I am a bit of a sarcastic dick, but I'm also super loyal and will do anything for those I love.
> 
> Let me know in the comments what you think.

**Chapter Five. Well, this is awkward.**

Castiel scrubbed his carpet vigorously and sighed. He’d made a real mess of his house during his rut. During the peak he had been pulled down to his baser instincts. Namely, sex and food. He didn’t think there was a surface of his house that he hadn’t masturbated on or covered in food.

He had not been prepared in the slightest for the primal urge to mark everything and bite when he popped his knot, and his couch cushions and his pillows had suffered for it. There were feathers and stuffing everywhere. He felt mentally and physically exhausted and his emotions were see-sawing radically as he struggled to accept that he was now a full-blown Alpha.

_ He had presented and he had a true mate _ . 

During his rut, he had been confident that he and Dean would find a way to be together, that no obstacle was too big in the face of destiny.

Now, a full day out of his rut, he wasn’t so sure. Hiding his presentation was risky, there were too many things that could go wrong. He’d done research into blockers, they were 99% effective on Omegas, but less so on Alphas. He’d also researched Alpha suppressants and discovered that they could be dangerous in the newly presented. It could cause sterility, seizures and even death. Obviously that was geared towards teenage Alphas, but he didn’t want to take the chance.

He thought about Dr Balthazar, how he had tried to help, and wondered if the Alpha was still around. He had looked him up, and found he still practised medicine. He had a large clinic in the city specialising in reproductive medicine. He had started to dial his number but had lost courage and hung up before completing the call.

He was terrified of the consequences of being caught. But every time he thought about Dean, the fears melted away. He knew he would do anything for his mate. Even risk going to jail himself. He couldn’t wait to go back to work tomorrow, even though he would probably be only able to catch the barest glimpse of his mate, his inner Alpha was soothed by the thought.

“ Cassie! You alive?”

Cas froze as he heard his porch door open and his brother’s voice calling out.

“ Yo, Cas? I swear to God if you fuckin’ died I’mma kill yo- What the fuck is that smell? It stinks like a fuckin’ whorehouse in here!” Gabe said, walking into the kitchen carrying a bag of groceries.

Cas just stared at him with widened eyes from the floor. Completely speechless.

Gabe stood in the doorway, scanning the house with a look of shock, he placed the groceries on the floor by his feet.

“ Cas? What the fuck is going on? Did a group of frat boys break in and jerk off all over your house or something?” Gabe asked, looking around, dismayed at the mess.

Cas blushed. His face, neck and ears going bright red. He still couldn’t speak. He was completely unprepared for Gabe dropping by, even though he really should have expected it.

Gabe looked at him and stepped closer, sniffing the air. His eyes widened as he realised the source of the scent was his brother. He pointed at Cas, shock on his face.

“ Holy fuck! You presented! You- Holy fuck!” he accused, then laughed. “Oh my God. You fucking marked your whole house. There’s spunk on everything!” he laughed, folding over as he completely lost it.

Cas growled loudly before he could stop himself. Both he and Gabe froze again, then Gabe chuckled, a little more subdued now.

“ Sorry, Alpha. Your territory, I get it. No harm meant.” he said, backing up a little.

Cas rolled his eyes. “I’m not in rut now, Gabe. Just pissed off.” he said snarkily.

Gabe looked relieved and he let out a breath. “Well, thank fuck for that. I didn’t want to have to kick my little brother's ass in his own house.” he joked.

Cas stood up, with one eyebrow raised. “Younger brother. Yes. Little brother? Not so much.” he chuckled, raising himself to his full height and staring down at his older brother.

Gabe scoffed. “You’ll always be smaller than me where it counts, Bro.” he said smugly.

Cas just laughed for the first time in days as Gabe wrinkled his nose and looked around.

“ So, where are they?” he asked, puzzled.

Cas looked equally confused. “Where’s who?” he asked.

Gabe looked at Cas like he was an idiot. “Your true mate! The one who finally relieved my baby bro of his cherry.” he said, heading towards the bedroom.

Cas grabbed his arm and shook his head. “There is no-one else here. Besides, if you think in here is bad, you  _ really _ don’t want to see my bedroom.” he warned, blushing again.

Gabe grimaced. “Good point.” he conceded hurriedly. “But seriously, where is your true mate?” he asked, looking concerned.

Cas looked sad. “It’s a long story.” he said, his new scent taking on a melancholy note.

Gabe looked concerned. “Oh no. Did they reject you?” he asked, looking sick.

Cas shook his head. “No. Far from it. But we can’t be together, not yet anyway.” he said, his scent souring further.

Gabe frowned. “Why? It’s not like it’s one of the inma- Oh fuck. It is, Isn't it? It’s one of the inmates.” he said, looking sorry for his brother.

Cas nodded. “You might want to sit down, I have a lot to tell you.” he said.

Gabe nodded, then looked around with a grimace. “Okay. Maybe not in here though, far too many fluids for my taste. On the chairs on the back deck?” he said, heading to the back door.

Cas grimaced and Gabe rolled his eyes and sighed. “Really bro? Outside? Please don’t tell me you’re gonna be one of those Alphas.” he said, shaking his head.

Cas shrugged and blushed. “We’ll just sit on the step. You didn’t happen to bring beer in those groceries, did you? I have a feeling we’re going to need it.”

Gabe winked and walked over to the bag, pulling out a six pack of craft beer. “It’s your lucky day, bro. Although judging by the look of this place, you- Ow!” he said, rubbing his arm where Cas had just punched him. “Fuck sake, couple of days as an Alpha and already throwing your weight around, huh? Asshole.” he muttered.

Cas just pushed him out the back door and they sat drinking the beers as Cas explained, even taking out the letter from his wallet to show Gabe.

To his credit, Gabe just listened as Cas poured out his fears and worries over the plan, but also his determination to carry it through if it was the only way to see Dean.

“ Well? Here’s where you tell me it’s stupid and we’ll get caught.” Cas said morosely.

Gabe looked thoughtful. “Nah. Not gonna do that.” he said, shaking his head.

Cas looked surprised. “Really? I tell you Dean’s crazy plan might end with me in jail or dead and you think it’s okay?” he asked incredulously.

Gabe shook his head again. “No, the plan  _ is _ stupid, too many things can go wrong. But I can also see you don’t have any choice. I know what it’s like, remember? Meeting your true mate, it changes you. But, it also brings out who you really are. If it were Kali, I’d do worse, no question. I’d kill for her, die for her. So, I’m gonna help you.” he said uncharacteristically serious as he turned the beer bottle in his hands.

Cas smiled. “You will? How?” he asked.

Gabe shrugged. “I don’t know yet. In the meantime, get as much info from Dean as you can. Get his legal Alpha’s name and I’ll do the rest.” he said.

Cas growled at the mention of another Alpha in Dean’s life and blushed at Gabe’s knowing look.

“ You gotta get that shit under control, bro. I know you’re newly presented, but it’ll give you away.” Gabe warned, taking a swig from the beer bottle he was holding.

“ I can’t help it. The thought of some other Alpha… it’s unbearable.” Cas said, rubbing his chest absently at the ache that appeared every time he thought about it.

Gabe looked sympathetic. “I know, bro. Did you know Kali was promised to someone else when we met?” he said, chuckling at Cas’ surprised expression “Yeah, some rich Indian dude who was a friend of her father’s. It took some negotiation, but he saw the sense of a true mating in the end. I think the hotel I built in Delhi might have helped.” he laughed.

Cas looked even more surprised. “You have a hotel in Delhi?” he asked, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open.

Gabe shrugged. “Delhi, Hawaii, Hong Kong, several European countries. Two in London, England, and I’ve got a huge piece of land in Canada that I’m turning into a ski resort.” he said matter-of-factly.

Cas choked on air. “Holy shit. I never knew. Michael said you had a bar in Hawaii or something, but a hotel?”

Gabe chuckled. “Luxury resort, actually. Mikey likes to think he’s the bee’s knees when it comes to business, tries to throw his control over Dad’s money around like it matters to me. I’m ten times richer than Dad ever was. Don’t tell him though, I’m saving that news for a rainy day.” he looked amused as Cas burst out laughing.

“ How the hell did you keep that quiet?” Cas asked, amazed.

Gabe  shrugged again. “Mikey assumed I was just spending Dad’s money and dicking around, so he left me alone to take care of you instead of enforcing Dad’s will and leaving you completely destitute. I’m happy to let him think that forever if needs be. He’d have no problem messing with you to get to me. Right now, he doesn’t consider me a threat, you know how he’d be if he knew.” he said, with a sneer.

Cas nodded. He knew what Michael was like alright. Cold, ruthless and insanely controlling. As long as he thought he held the purse strings, he was content to leave Gabe and Cas alone. If he knew that Gabe was independently wealthy, he would make Cas’ life hell.

“ Thank you, for everything, Gabe.” Cas said quietly, fiddling with the label on his beer bottle.

Gabe slapped Cas on the shoulder. “Nah, no need to thank me. It’s been great having one over Mikey all this time. Besides, now we both have secrets to keep.” he joked.

Cas sighed. “Indeed.”

*************

  
  


Dean sat in his cell and worried. Even his nest wasn’t bringing him comfort right now. It felt empty and incomplete without a token from his Alpha. He wondered where he was and when he would be back at work. Or if he would even be back at all. He might not even want Dean, or he may not have even got the note. He may have been discovered and fired for all Dean knew.

After John’s visit the day before, Dean had tried to keep his head down to avoid the worst of the gossip and humiliation. However, his new friend Jesse had other ideas, he had brought a few people along to Dean’s cell and introduced them. Kevin was a young guy who talked fast and with an intensity that was bordering on manic, his mother, Linda, was a small shrewd looking woman who was fiercely protective of her only child. Kaia seemed tough, but her anger was a front, protecting the fragile personality underneath, she was in for drug charges. Alfie was the sweetest kid Dean had ever met, it was hard to believe he was in here for assaulting a police officer.

They had all heard of John’s outburst, the whole wing was talking about it. They were all so supportive and non-judgemental that it went a long way to making Dean feel better. Linda had produced a pack of cards and had proceeded to completely destroy Dean at poker. He owed her a carton of sodas, half a carton of chocolate bars and a box of fancy soap by the time Dean had thrown in the towel. But they had cheered him up and despite himself, he found he was laughing by evening lockdown.

He had still laid awake all night, his mind whirling with thoughts of Sam, Michael, John and his Alpha. He knew he needed a plan for them to get away, but they would need help from the outside. Until he had more information, he was stuck waiting. Something he wasn’t designed to do.

His cell door clicked open and rolled back, revealing the landing where his Alpha stood with a sheepish expression.

Dean barely restrained himself from throwing himself at him. Instead, he stood up and smiled shyly.

“ Hi, Alpha.” he whispered, smiling even wider when the man blushed shyly.

“ Good morning, Omega.” the man replied, his deep voice sending shivers down Dean’s spine.

“ How are you?” they both asked each other at the same time, before both chuckling at the awkwardness.

“ You first.” the Alpha offered generously. “I- I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asked worriedly, he stepped forward before thinking better of it and stepping back again.

Dean shook his head. “No, Alpha.” he reassured. “I’m sorry about, uh.. what I did.” he said, nervously, bringing his arms around himself protectively.

The Alpha shook his head. “No, under the circumstances, you did the right thing, Dean.” he reassured. The way he said Dean’s name gave him a thrill.

“ You got a name, Alpha? I can’t keep calling you that or people will talk.” Dean grinned.

The Alpha blushed and looked around nervously before answering. “Castiel. My name is Castiel.” he whispered.

Dean’s eyes widened. “Castiel? That’s... different.” he smiled. “I’m gonna call you Cas, okay?” he teased.

Cas raised an eyebrow. “You’ll call me officer Novak where people can hear, or we’ll both be in a lot of trouble.” he warned.

Dean’s smile faded. For a moment he had forgotten where he was. “Sure, of course.” he said seriously. “So, I take it you’re in on this? You want me as your Omega?” he asked, a hint of longing in his voice.

Cas smiled and nodded. “I am, and I do. Very much.” he assured.

Dean felt like crying, he wanted nothing more than to kiss his Alpha, but the other Omegas were milling around, heading down to the cafeteria for breakfast.

“ That’s- that’s good.” he said, swallowing the huge lump in his throat. “I really wanna kiss you right now.” he whispered.

Cas blushed again, it was seriously cute how he kept doing that. “I feel the same.” he admitted.

“ We gotta find some time to do that. I can’t wait up to six months, Cas. I’ll go crazy.” he whined.

Cas went to answer but was interrupted by a shout from Ezra, the other officer on duty who was approaching.

“ Hey, Novak. I take it you’re thanking your rescuer here. Don’t worry, we all thanked him already.” he joked.

Cas nodded. “Yes, I was.” he said hurriedly, looking guilty.

Ezra grinned. “Well, we gotta get everyone down to breakfast. So, be quick about it. It’s fresh baked rolls today, I’m worried they’ll eat  _ me _ if I don’t let them in there quick enough.” he laughed.

Cas smiled. “Okay, I’ll be down in a second, keep an eye on the line, will you? Make sure they line up in twos.” he ordered, trying to get rid of him.

Ezra nodded. “Okay, see you in a second.”

He turned away, then turned back, laughing. “There, that was a second.” he joked and Dean felt like screaming. Cas was beginning to look annoyed as well. 

“Just kidding, see you in a bit.” Ezra said, finally walking off, laughing at his own joke.

Cas sighed. “Idiot.” he muttered, making Dean laugh.

“ I’ll see what I can do about the thing we talked about. As you can see, it won’t be easy.” Cas said, looking pained.

Dean nodded. “Good, ‘cause we really have to talk about something. It’s important.” he said, his voice heavy with meaning. Somehow Dean had to tell him that he was owned by his brother.

Cas frowned but nodded. “We’d better go, before someone gets suspicious.” he said, regretfully. “Write it down, and give it to me later.” he suggested.

Dean grimaced. “Is that a good idea? What if someone finds the letter?” he hissed worriedly.

Cas grinned. “I’m in charge of deciding if and when a cell is searched on this wing. Just make sure to hide it from the other Omegas.” he said, trying to wink.

Dean couldn’t help but grin back. “Okay, Cas.” then, before he thought better of it he blurted out “I have a favour to ask.”

Cas raised an eyebrow “Oh, what task does my Omega have for me already?” he teased.

A little thrill went through Dean at Cas’ casual use of the words  _ my Omega _ . He couldn’t help but blush. “Um, can you bring me a token? I kind of want something with your scent for my nest.” he asked, embarrassed.

The look of wonder on Castiel’s face was a joy to behold. “Oh, you- I mean, of course. That’s- I’ll get it to you as soon as possible.” he stammered out, looking pleased.

Dean let out a little whine at the thought and Castiel’s eyes darkened. He looked over his shoulder to see if the way was clear and then stepped into the cell and grabbed Dean’s arm, pulling him closer. “Your letter was all that kept me together during my rut.” he whispered quietly into Dean’s ear, scenting him as he did so.

Dean shivered and turned his head towards him. “Cas, we have to be careful.” he said worriedly, trying to resist the urge to kiss him.

Cas stepped back, looking apologetic. “I’ll find a way to get us some time together.” he promised, having no idea of how to actually do that.

“ Okay, Alpha.” Dean whispered. “Lets go, they’ll be getting suspicious by now.”

Cas nodded and followed Dean out onto the landing. 


	6. Softly, softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> I just found out my landlord died of covid-19. He was an okay guy, as landlords go, I only met him a couple of times. I'm not sure what is going to happen with my house, no-one seems to know what is happening or if the property will be sold. So I may need to move in the near future, a scary prospect when both me and my kid are disabled, my hubby is self employed and we have two dogs. All of those things limit properties we can rent, in an area where there is already a housing shortage. 
> 
> In this chapter, Cas and Dean finally get to talk a little. Don't worry, there will be much more to come in the future.

**Chapter Six. Softly softly.**

During breakfast, Jesse had insisted Dean sit with them and Dean had agreed, grateful for the distraction.

“ You look a lot better than yesterday, smell better too.” Linda said, looking at him shrewdly.

Dean shrugged. “You guys cheered me up last night. Even if I do owe you a small fortune and my firstborn child.” he joked. “Where’d you learn to play like that?” he asked.

Linda shrugged. “It’s all just math.” she dismissed.

Dean chuckled. “Bullshit. You out bluffed me and I’m the best player I know. Well, until now. Teach me your ways Master Yoda.” he said, laughing as she scowled at him.

Linda narrowed her eyes at him. “Why would I do that?” she said.

“’ Cause I’m adorable and you can’t say no to me?” Dean joked, batting his lashes.

Linda laughed. “You cocky little shit. You’re cute, but not that cute. Sorry kid, I’m keeping my secrets.” she said, although she pushed her bread roll towards him as a consolation.

Dean chuckled. “Fair enough.” he conceded, breaking the roll in half and giving half of it to Kevin, who snatched it up and dipped it into his coffee before biting off a chunk with a grin. Everyone else looked mildly disgusted before returning to the conversation. Dean noticed Linda looking at him with a small smile on her face. He’d managed to impress her. Good. She was a powerful ally in here. A natural leader whom everyone feared and respected.

“ What classes are you signed up for?” Alfie asked, breaking his roll apart and buttering it daintily.

Dean shrugged. “None yet. But I figure cooking and baking is a pretty good bet. Childcare might be interesting, I raised my brother and although he turned out alright, it would be nice to know better when it comes to my own kids. But I really don’t wanna do sewing.” he grimaced.

Alfie chuckled. “It’s not all sewing. It’s textiles really. Knitting, crochet, even t-shirt printing. I made my Alpha a t-shirt last week with a picture of a guitar on it.” he said, looking proud.

Dean looked a little more interested. “Yeah? That sounds cool actually.” he admitted.

Linda tapped his arm. “You also have your non-electives. English language and literature, Math and Phys Ed. Those take up the morning. You do your electives like cooking, and childcare in the afternoon if you haven’t got a shift in the laundry. You’ll start all those properly next week.” she reminded him.

Dean nodded. “Yeah, my first laundry shift is today. How do I go about signing up for the lessons? Do I just go to ‘em or what?” he asked.

Jesse sat forward. “Just talk to officer Novak, he’s the chief officer for this wing, he’ll help you work out a schedule.” he said, sipping his coffee. “Try and get into my cooking class, you can be my partner.”

Dean nodded. “I’ll try.” he promised, but he was mostly thinking of the great excuse to talk to Cas again. He stood up, picking up his tray and taking it over to the trash, where he emptied it and stacked it ready for the kitchen detail to take away to be washed.

He approached Cas who was standing with his hands behind his back, feet shoulder width apart, watching the cafeteria.

“ Officer Novak” he said gruffly.

Cas turned to look at him, a slight unsure look in his eyes. “Yes, can I help you, Dean?” he said politely.

“ I’m told you are the person to speak to about classes? I need to sign up for my electives.” he said, his eyes shining as he looked at his Alpha.

Cas looked relieved. “Absolutely. When I come back from escorting the others to their classes, we’ll talk. Is that alright with you?” he said, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of time alone.

“ That sounds awesome, actually.” Dean said, trying to suppress the smile threatening to break out on his face. “I’ll be in my cell.” he said, giving Cas a lingering look as he headed back to the table where his friends sat.

“ You don’t hang around, do you?” Jesse said to Dean, smiling as he sat down.

Dean’s face froze for a second. “Huh?”

Jesse indicated over to Cas. “We just finished telling you how to sign up and you went straight over. You bored or something?” he joked.

Dean let out a relieved chuckle. “Never did do well sitting still.” he admitted. “I like to keep busy.”

Alfie smiled. “You’d enjoy Phys Ed today then. We’re doing track.” he said happily and Dean groaned out loud with disgust.

“ I know, running is not nearly so fun without someone chasing you.” Jesse said with a twinkle in his eye, making the whole table laugh.

  
  


*************

  
  


Dean sat on his bed, trying to write down what he needed Cas to know in case they got disturbed again. As he had just finished his heat, he wasn’t due to start non-elective classes until next week. His first shift in the laundry today was just a tour and a run through of his duties. He had the entire wing to himself for the time being. Well, he was locked in his cell until Cas came back, but the point was, they would be alone.

He listened out for footsteps on the metal stairs leading up to his landing and hearing none, sighed heavily. It had been half an hour since the other Omegas had gone to class. How long did it take to get back? He bounced his knee, his nervous energy fuelling a need to move.

His door clicked open and he sat up with surprise to see Cas holding a clipboard and a nervous look on his face.

“ Sorry, I had to go get the schedule from the office and Hannah, that’s Warden Hannah to you, wanted to chat. She was asking how I was after my “recent illness” and my “fall”.” he said, rolling his eyes and making Dean chuckle. “It took me forever to get away.”

“ Did you just use finger quotes?” Dean laughed. God, his Alpha was such a dork.

Cas chuckled as he indicated the single chair as if to ask to sit in it. Dean shook his head and patted the bed instead, a sly look in his eye.

Cas looked spooked and looked out the door nervously, licking his lips. He looked at Dean and shook his head. “I’m not sure I can trust myself being that close to you.” he admitted.

Dean waggled his eyebrows and grinned. “Well, yeah. I was kinda counting on that.” he laughed.

Cas blushed. “Let’s get the paperwork done first and then we’ll see. I have to take something back to the office or they’ll get suspicious.” he reminded him.

Dean nodded. “Fair enough.”

They quickly laid out a schedule for Dean’s electives. On Tuesdays, Dean would be doing childcare and a therapy session. On Thursdays he’d be doing cooking and then baking. Saturday was visiting day and Sunday was group activities and another therapy session. Monday, Wednesday and Friday he would be working in the laundry. He wouldn’t have to worry about being bored, that was for sure.

“ Jesus, where are we gonna find time to see each other?” Dean whined.

Cas also looked dismayed at the packed schedule. He pointed to the schedule indicating some small blocks of time. “Here, here and here. You have an hour between therapy and dinner. Half an hour after cookery class and on Sundays, you’ll have until lights out after therapy.” he said.

“ And how long do you have now?” Dean asked slyly.

Cas blushed shyly. “Didn’t you have something important to tell me?” he recalled.

Dean rolled his eyes. “Playin’ hard to get, Alpha?” he teased, pulling the note out of his pants where he had hidden it.

“ I’ve included the cipher for a code. Sammy and I use it when he writes to me. Use it when you reply. That way, if someone finds the letters, they won’t know what’s in ‘em.” he said smugly as he handed the bundle to Cas.

Cas grinned. “Clever Omega.” he praised. Dean flushed with pleasure at pleasing his Alpha.

“ I think I deserve a kiss for all my hard work.” Dean pouted.

Cas gave him a hot look. “Let me check outside just quick.” he said, sticking his head outside the door and checking no-one was around.

Dean checked out his ass as he leaned through the doorway. Cas really did fill out those slacks nicely. His thick thighs and tight, rounded ass looked amazing.

Cas turned and caught him looking, he blushed again and murmured “All clear” before he sat down on Dean’s bed and pressed a soft kiss to his mouth.

Dean responded instantly, greedy for it. In moments he had pulled Cas down on top of him on the bed where they kissed furiously, the heat between them rising rapidly. Hands exploring, their bodies pressing as close as they could. The desperate longing of the last few days since they had discovered each others existence exploding between them, fuelling the passion.

The Alpha was trembling as he fought the urge to take, to bite. Dean clung desperately, clawing at the Alphas back as they writhed in the nest Dean had built. Both of them were hard, rutting against the other, Cas’s body doing a sinuous roll of it’s own accord, instinct almost completely taking over. Cas broke the kiss to nip at Deans jaw and neck, making Dean gasp and whine.

Cas pulled at Dean’s shirt, then froze, his eyes widened in fear.

“ I’m sorry, we have to stop. I have to stop now, or I won’t stop at all.” he said, breathing heavily and looking slightly manic.

Dean pouted, but understood. “New instincts taking a little bit to get used to, huh?” he said, softly, fighting the urge to rub against his Alpha.

Cas nodded and sat back, taking his weight off Dean, he looked down at his lap and sighed. “Yes. My instincts are telling me to take you now, knot you, bite you, make you mine. It’s taking everything I have to fight it.” he said, looking pained. He looked to the floor as if ashamed.

Dean sat up. “Baby, that’s normal. But, you did really well stopping when you did. Hell, I would have let you and it would have fucked up everything.” he said, brushing his hand down Cas’ arm.

“ I don’t like feeling so out of control, it’s unsettling.” Cas confessed quietly.

Dean grimaced. “I guess it is.” he said sympathetically.

“ I’d never even kissed someone before you. Now I’m breaking laws and planning a future with my true mate. We don’t even know each other!” Cas said, bringing his shaking hand up to his face, rubbing at his temple in frustration.

Dean felt like he’d been slapped. “So, you don’t want this? Me?” he said, angrily. He couldn’t help feeling a little rejected. “Just my luck that even my true mate doesn’t fucking want me.” he gritted out, pulling away from Cas.

Cas looked at him like he was crazy. “I never said that. Of course I want you. My point is that I want you too much. I’m feeling overwhelmed, that’s all.” he reassured.

Dean’s anger dissolved and he looked ashamed. “Sorry, I may have some issues with people leaving me. Probably something I should talk to the therapist about, huh?” he joked, nudging Cas who smiled.

Cas took his hand. “I am not now, nor will I ever, reject you. Of that I am sure. But I need to know exactly what is standing in our way, so I can deal with it.” he said softly.

Dean took a deep breath, he had written it all down in the letter, but he supposed it should really be said in person.

“ Your brother.” he said, wincing as he spoke.

Cas looked confused. “My brother? What? What does he have to do with this?” he said, incredulously.

“ You have a brother named Michael, right? Apparently he’s the Alpha that my Dad sold me to. One of the medical staff told me you were brothers and that your connection is probably why I got sent here in the first place.” he said, looking sick.

Cas looked stunned.

“ Complicates things, huh?” Dean said, glumly.

Cas let out the breath he didn’t realise he’d been holding. “Uh, yes. It really does.” he admitted, nodding his head. “I had no idea my brother was even thinking about mating. But then again, we aren’t close. I don’t know much about his day to day life.”

“ I don’t know anything about Michael, he never came to my trial, the sentencing or any of the hearings. He never even signed the paperwork. His name was kept off it, to protect his reputation, I guess. Everything was marked “Alpha X”. I didn’t find out his name until just before we met and I didn’t know  _ your _ name until.. after. That’s when I realised.” Dean explained.

Cas ran a hand down his face. “Michael is- He’s ruthless. Utterly without mercy. When he wants something he stops at nothing to get it. I’m not surprised by his behaviour during your trial, but this is a major problem for us.”

Dean nodded. “He’s your brother, I get it. It’s weird.” he sighed.

Cas scoffed. “Being my brother didn’t stop him from cutting me off during my last year of college, or turfing me out of my apartment and making me homeless. Seriously, fuck him. You’re mine, not his. I have no reservations about that, believe me.” he reassured. “I’m talking about his resources and contacts. My other brother, Gabriel, has offered to help us, hopefully he’ll know what to do.”

Dean looked surprised. “You told your brother about me?”

Cas looked sheepish. “Yes. I kind of had to? He turned up at my home just after my rut had finished, it was.. uh.. a bit.. well.. messy.” he blushed to the roots of his hair.

Dean laughed, slapping his thigh as he rocked back and forth. “Oh, my God. You marked your territory, didn’t you?” he wiped at the tears in his eyes.

Cas nodded, chuckling a little himself. “I had no idea that Alphas did that. It’s disgusting. Seriously, I may have to burn down the house and move.” he said, making Dean laugh harder.

Dean held his stomach, and groaned. “Oh, God. I haven’t laughed that hard in years.” he said, pressing up against Cas. “Don’t worry, now that you’ve marked your territory, the urge to do that will probably fade. Sammy did the same thing when he presented, luckily it was just his room though.” he said wrinkling his nose at the memory.

Cas breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank God. I don’t want to have to deal with that every six months.” he said, grimacing.

Dean nodded. “Don’t worry, eventually you’ll have me to help you with your ruts, Babe.” he reminded coyly, giving Cas a wink.

Cas side-eyed him. “Stop that. I’ve only just calmed down. I don’t want to test these blockers to their limits, if preferable.” he warned.

Dean groaned, throwing himself on the bed in a huff. “How the fuck are we supposed to keep this a secret when we want each other so much?” he whined.

“ I hate to say, but it  _ was _ your idea.” Cas reminded, rubbing Dean’s thigh. “Which I’m not opposed to, by the way. It’s just much more difficult than I imagined.” he said frustratedly.

Dean whined in agreement. “Yeah, I know.”

Cas stood up and sat on the chair opposite the bed instead, feeling like the temptation was slightly lessened. “Okay, we need to figure out how to get away once you are freed. Leaving the country will be difficult, if not impossible, as you discovered yourself. There must be some legal way we can use to free you from the contract.” he said, although he looked doubtful.

“ Not one I’ve ever heard of.” Dean grumbled. “My brother Sam is at Stanford, he’s gonna be a lawyer. If there’s a way, he’ll find it. But we need a plan B, if there’s no loophole to exploit.” he said, turning on his side.

Cas looked wary. “Your brother will support us?” he questioned.

Dean nodded. “Oh, yeah, he’s already working on it. He doesn’t know about you yet though. Maybe there’s some true mate clause or something he can dig up?.” he pondered.

Cas shrugged. “There may be an archaic law buried somewhere, sure.” he agreed hopefully, although he still looked doubtful. True mates were hard to prove, after all.

Dean chewed his lip thoughtfully. “I kind of hate that I have to rely on other people for this. A good man is facing jail for helping me before. I really don’t want anyone else to risk it.” he said sadly.

Cas slumped a little. The thought had occurred to him too. “I know what you mean. We need a cast iron plan in place before we do anything. Michael has eyes and ears everywhere. I don’t doubt that he has someone in here watching you. So we have to be very careful not to arouse suspicions.” he warned.

Dean looked pissed as he thought of any of his new friends being spies. “Your brother is a dick.” he growled.

Cas nodded. “Yes, yes he is. Unfortunately, he’s a dick with connections. He has friends placed high up in government. My family is old, Dean. Very old. Our line goes back to the pack system and beyond. So, those connections run deep. Michael is our family Alpha, under pack rules, he would have killed me for being a Null. He still has the right for what we are planning to do.” he said, with a shudder.

“ Running off with his Omega? Yeah, he could kill us both and never even see the inside of a jail cell. No-one would convict, for sure.” Dean agreed. “We’re crazy for doing this, aren’t we?” he asked, looking at his Alpha and grinning.

Cas chuckled. “We are, but we’re doing it anyway, making it up as we go.”

Dean knew right there, at that moment, that this was definitely his true mate.


	7. Risky Business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> Thank you for your comments and kudos. They mean a lot. 
> 
> We earn that E-rating this week. Some sexy times for our boys! There is also some plot, I'm not an animal.😂😂😂

**Chapter Seven. Risky business.**

“ Michael?  _ Michael? _ ” Gabe looked flabbergasted. “Well, shit.” he said, dismayed.

Cas nodded. “My thoughts exactly” he agreed.

Gabe tapped his fingers on the small table thoughtfully. “Knowing him, he has someone on the inside protecting his investment, and I  _ don’t _ mean you, Bro.” he warned.

Cas nodded in agreement. “I was thinking that myself, yes.”

“ You guys are gonna have to be even more careful. He’ll have someone watching Dean, giving him reports on his behaviour and who he associates with, and so on.” Gabe said, picking up his coffee and grimacing at the taste. “Urgh, this coffee is disgusting.” he said, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

Cas shrugged. “I don’t drink it, so I don’t even know why it was in my pantry, it could have been there for a year for all I know.” he said, sipping his tea and grinning.

Gabe looked even more disgusted, but changed the subject. “I’ve got some bad news. The blockers you’re using help with your scent, but they won’t work for long, a couple of months at most. Then you’ll start getting sick. They’re not designed for long term use.” he explained and Cas looked devastated.

“ But Dean will have another four months left before he gets out.” he whined.

Gabe looked sympathetic. “I know, we need to find another way, but I can’t find anything that’s not some sort of scam or potentially dangerous. We need to speak to an expert or something.” he said, pushing his coffee away from himself.

Cas thought of Dr Balthazar; he had seemed kind and understanding. The card he had sneaked to Cas had been in his wallet for months, it’s edges becoming worn and tattered from Cas taking it out and trying to get the courage to call. Until his mother had found it and torn it up angrily, furious that the doctor had given them the diagnosis, but no cure.

“ The doctor that originally diagnosed me could help?” Cas suggested.

Gabe looked doubtful. “He’ll be obligated to report you. You’re breaking several laws after all.” he said with a shrug.

Cas shook his head. “He was so kind, I think he’d help me. I could just make up something else, I don’t have to tell him the whole story.” he insisted. “He may have a way of helping disguise my scent without making me sick.”

Gabe chewed his lip. “Like what? ‘ _ I presented, but it’s freaking me out!’ _ he mimed dramatically. “Hey, wait. That’s not a bad idea.” he said, looking at Cas. “How’s your acting ability? Oh, look who I’m talking to, you can’t lie for shit. Forget it, bad idea.” he mused out loud. Cas’ mind was spinning at the journey Gabe had just taken him.

“ I think I can do it.” Cas stated simply.

Gabe was already jumping ahead. “I suppose I could fly you to Moscow with me next week, we can find a doctor there who can help us. Wave enough money at them and they’ll ignore any law you ask them to.” he said, pulling out his phone to book tickets.

“ I said, I think I can do it.” Cas insisted.

Gabe gave him a disbelieving look. “Cas, I love you like a brother, but you flunked drama class and never told a convincing lie in your life.” he said matter-of-factly.

Cas scowled. “That’s not true. I told you I liked your beard.” he said smugly.

Gabe looked pissed. “Fuck you. My beard is magnificent, you can’t be lying.” he said sulkily.

Cas grinned. “It is. But the only reason I like it, is that it covers half of your face.” he sniped, dodging Gabe’s half hearted punch to his arm with a laugh.

Gabe rolled his eyes. “You really think you can do this?” he asked, more serious now.

Cas shrugged. “Well, it’s not a total lie, to be honest.” he said, going pink.

Gabe looked concerned. “The changes freaking you out for real? I thought this was everything you ever wanted?” he asked, sitting forward and trying to catch Cas’ eye.

Cas looked at the ground. “It is, and it’s not. All I ever really wanted was to be accepted for who I am. Mom and Dad, Michael, Luke and even you, Gabe, none of you accepted me how I was. Oh, you were there for me, and I’ll be forever grateful, but you never accepted it. You were convinced I could be fixed. I worry that I’ll only be accepted because of my presentation, when I’m essentially the same person I was before.” he said gloomily, his lip trembling as he wrapped his arms around himself protectively.

Gabe looked uncharacteristically guilty. “Jesus. Kiddo, I’m sorry I made you feel that way. I never meant it like that, honest. I thought you were unhappy being unpresented. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy. I thought I was helping you, I can see now that it just made things harder for you, and I’m sorry.” he said, tears in his eyes as he reached for his brother.

Cas stared at him morosely for a second and then chuckled. “And you said I couldn’t act.” he laughed as Gabe’s expression cycled through anger, surprise and a little pride.

“ You little shit.” Gabe said, shaking his head. “Fair enough. We’ll try your plan. It’s probably cheaper than bribing a whole load of Russian officials anyway.” he shrugged.

Cas grinned.

************

Dean looked around the table in the cafeteria, trying to work out who amongst his new friends were working for Michael. He knew at least one of them must be, they had all accepted him way too easily. He considered Jesse for a moment, he was the first to approach him after all. But his instinct led him to dismiss him almost as quickly, he was just so open and free with his expressions and body language.

Alfie was a wild card, on the surface he seemed the perfect, serene Omega. Delicate even. But he was in jail for assaulting a police officer. Apparently, the police officer had tried to arrest his Alpha just after Alfie’s heat and he’d gone almost feral. He was one to watch.

Kaia was moody, twitchy and abrasive. She was recovering from a pretty heavy drug addiction. She was a prime candidate for a spy on the surface, but something made Dean hesitate to identify her as such. She had a real disdain for authority and deep pride that grated against working for someone like Michael. 

Linda and Kevin were his prime suspects. They were smart, savvy and had been working cons for years. Linda had a reputation for doing everything and anything to get ahead. With society stacked so heavily in the Alphas favour, Omegas had little opportunity to succeed, needing an Alpha’s permission to even get a job.

There were others he supposed, his neighbours and a few other curious Omegas who he’d spotted watching him, but they had yet to approach him or even tried to get to know him. So either they were biding their time, or they were not working for Michael.

“ Hey, what do you think?” Jesse asked, breaking Dean from his reverie.

Dean sat up. “Of what?” he looked around to see the whole table staring at him.

“ It’s Alpha visiting day next week. We get a whole day with our Alpha, conjugal visits included. Do you think yours will show?” Jesse asked patiently.

Dean shrugged, but felt a chill at the thought of it. “I have no idea. He never showed for my trial or anything. So, I doubt it.” he answered, looking around the table to see if anyone reacted. No-one batted an eyelid.

“ He still could show up, now that you’re here and being rehabilitated, I mean. Alphas need to bond almost as much as Omegas do.” Alfie offered consolingly. The kid was a clear romantic. He also liked to believe the best of everyone.

Dean shrugged again. “I guess I ‘ll see, won’t I?” he said, leaning back again. Michael was clearly not interested in bonding or he would have showed up before now. It begged the question of exactly what he wanted Dean for, if not a fully bonded mate. Cas had said he was cold and merciless, maybe he didn’t think bonding was necessary.

“ If he didn’t show for the trial, he ain’t visiting him in here.” Kaia snapped out, rolling her eyes. “Another Alpha asshole who thinks he’s above everyone else. He won’t associate with Dean until he’s been moulded into the perfect Omega. There’ll be a team of people to groom him once he gets out, just watch. Everything from the way he speaks, to his hair, nails and the way he dresses will be made over. He might even change Dean’s name. Once he’s deemed acceptable, that’s when his Alpha will swoop in and claim him properly. An Omega he can show off like a trophy.” she sneered, pulling at her sleeves and slumping in her chair, her hair drooping over her scowling face.

Dean felt the truth of her words. He suspected that much himself. Even though he had no interest in Michael, it still stung a little. He looked at Linda and Kevin who were suspiciously quiet. Linda looked thoughtful and Kevin looked sick. He felt more sure of his suspicion than ever that those two were spying on him. It was a problem, Linda’s shrewd eyes missed nothing and she pretty much ran the block. If she wanted to know something, she would find out. She had her own network of underlings to do her spying for her. She was the perfect candidate for Michael’s spy.

He could see Cas standing nearby, his blue eyes sweeping the cafeteria, watching for any trouble that might occur. There had been rumours of a cell search coming up. He’d have to find some way of asking Cas to include Linda and Kevin’s cell in that planned search, to see if they had anything on him. He didn’t want Michael knowing anything about him, if possible. The man had known every move he was making before and cut off every avenue of escape, he wasn’t planning on that happening a second time.

“ I can’t believe that’s true. Dean’s Alpha has done nothing but help him so far. He’s probably just very busy.” Alfie said kindly.

“ That’s a bit of a reach, even for you.” Kaia sneered again, picking at a loose thread on her sleeve.

Dean bit his tongue to prevent from saying anything on the subject. Until he confirmed the spy's identity, he refused to incriminate himself. It was best to keep up the act at all times.

“ Guys, I think we’re upsetting Dean. We should change the subject.” Jesse pleaded, clearly uncomfortable with Dean’s silence.

“ I’m gonna go back to my cell, write a letter to my brother before electives.” Dean said, standing up with his tray. “I’ll see you guys later.”

He left the table as they carried on bickering in hushed voices, dumping his tray without cleaning it off and heading for the stairs. As he passed Cas, the Alpha frowned at Dean’s pissed off scent and sent him a questioning look. Dean gave a minute shake of the head as his answer and carried on up the stairs to the cell block.

Once back in his cell, he threw himself down in his nest and grabbed his notebook and pen, writing a letter to Cas in code. He wrote of his suspicions and asked him to search Linda and Kevin’s cell. He also gave him Sam’s contact details, but asked him to hold off talking to him until he could tell Sam everything himself. He also reminded him about the token for his nest.

He rubbed the paper on his neck to scent it and sealed it in an envelope addressed to “Emmanuel Allen” the code name they had agreed on for Cas. He scented the envelope too and attached a stamp, even though he’d be handing it directly to Cas.

The real Emmanuel was an elderly, retired doctor who lived near Bobby. Dean had often helped the man out with groceries and chores since the man had begun suffering with dementia a few years previously. He rarely remembered who anyone was any more and he was the perfect cover, even if Dean felt a little guilty about it.

“ Dean? It’s time for electives.” Cas said from the doorway, looking worried. “Are you okay? You seemed upset.”

Dean looked over at his Alpha and smiled. “Not any more. It was just some shit the other Omegas were talking about, nothing to worry about.”

“ Do you need to skip class? I can radio over if needs be.” Cas offered.

Dean gave Cas a curious look. “Will you be able to stay here with me?” he asked.

Cas looked nervous. “Um. Yes? I’m free for the next couple of hours.” he admitted.

Dean grinned. “Wanna fool around?” he asked waggling his eyebrows.

Cas’ eyes went round and he looked slightly terrified, he swallowed nervously. “I- I don’t know.” he said, blushing.

Dean stood up. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to. I just want to be close to you. The other Omegas kept asking if Michael is visiting next week and it pissed me off. It just reminded me that I’m not yours, yet.” he grumbled.

Cas growled lowly. The mention of Michael spurring his instinct to claim. He checked up and down the block quickly and then reached for his radio.

“ Novak here, Dean Winchester will be in his cell this afternoon. He’s unwell. I’ll monitor the situation and update you if he needs to go to the medical block.” he said briefly, then placing the radio on the table and pulling the cell door closed behind him, a glint in his eye. The crackly response was lost as the true mates stared at each other.

Dean grinned. Finally, some action. He had hoped he could talk Cas into mutual handjobs or something, but the look in his eye promised more. Dean might finally get the knot he had been desperate for since meeting his true mate.

Cas stalked towards him, grabbing him and gently tossing him into the nest on the bed, then pounced on him, all while growling. Dean wriggled impatiently, trying to work his hands under the uniform Cas wore and nipping at his jaw.

“ Knot me, Cas. I need it.” Dean begged, whining when the Alpha moved away instead, shaking his head.

“ No, I can’t.” he said, although he looked to be losing the battle in his mind.

“ You said yourself, you have a couple of hours, we both need this. Please Cas?” Dean begged even harder.

Cas looked like he was trying to fight his instincts, he was practically vibrating with need.

“ Dean, this is a major risk. If we’re caught, this is all over. We’ll never see each other again.” Cas warned, weakly.

Dean whined. Cas leaned down to kiss him hungrily as Dean began pulling at Cas’ clothes, trying to free him from his slacks so he could get his hands on the sizable Alpha cock he had gotten a preview of in the laundry when they met.

Dean felt the slick beginning to make the insides of his cheeks slippery, and he wriggled as Cas’ big hand gripped his own rapidly filling cock through his thin cotton pants, moaning quietly into the Alphas mouth.

Cas gasped as Dean’s hand made contact with his bare cock and shuddered as Dean ran his thumb over the sensitive head. He growled as he fought the urges trying to take over.

“ I won’t knot you here, Dean. It’s not safe.” he panted as Dean wriggled underneath him impatiently.

Dean whined, but nodded. “Okay, but please, just touch me.” he begged, rolling so that they were lying side by side, facing each other on the tiny bunk.

Cas nodded, pushing his hand inside the cotton pants and taking Dean’s small Omega cock in his big hand. It felt a lot different than his own, smaller and with no knot at the base, but also the same, the skin velvety smooth and wet at the tip. He began to pump him quickly, making Dean gasp into his mouth.

Then his brain almost short circuited as Dean did the same to him, his other hand cupping his testicles as they frantically kissed.

“ This is gonna be over fast.” Dean panted, groaning as Cas’ other hand snaked around and groped his ass, his fingers dipping into the crack.

Cas groaned, feeling the slick on his fingers as they explored between Dean’s cheeks.

The element of danger was adding to the thrill and he too was hurtling towards the finish line, but he was determined that Dean would finish first. His middle finger grazed Dean’s opening, then gently applied a little pressure, making Dean buck his hips as he tried to push back on the finger greedily. Cas withdrew his finger and growled, warning Dean not to move. He pushed against the opening again, feeling Dean tremble as he resisted pushing back on it. Slowly he pushed his finger in, pumping it in and out and zeroing in on that spot that all the sex manuals had told him about. He knew he’d found it when Dean almost seized in his arms and began to frantically push back on his hand, whining quietly.

He swiped his finger over the same spot, and Dean gasped, looking desperate for a second when Cas’ finger retreated before pushing against it again. Dean arched his back and opened his mouth in a silent cry as he came, his scent exploding with the sweet smell of honey as Cas milked his orgasm from him.

Dean’s grip had faltered as he came, and Cas had been tantalisingly close to the edge himself. His canines had descended and his eyes were tinged with red, he shifted slightly, pushing his cock into Dean’s hand with a whine of his own.

Dean panted heavily as he recovered, looking over at his mate, he grinned and took the Alpha’s cock in hand, gripping tightly and pumping while reaching down to cup his balls again. He massaged them briefly before reaching up to massage the knot that was swelling rapidly as Cas’ orgasm approached. The Alpha’s canines flashed as he growled, the instinct to bite surging along with his orgasm. Dean hurriedly grabbed the towel from next to the bed and Cas snatched it, quickly biting down on it as he suddenly came. Dean gasped as more come than he’d ever seen in his life, coated his hands, stomach, chest and thighs, missing Cas completely.

“ Whoa! The towel was for clean up, babe!” Dean exclaimed, looking dismayed at the mess now covering himself and part of the bed.

Cas panted and looked contrite. “S-sorry. It was that or bite you. I can’t control it.” he said looking ashamed.

Dean looked up and then laughed. “It’s okay, I guess my nest definitely smells like you now.” he said, taking the towel from Cas’ hand and trying to mop up as best he could.

Cas shifted back, trying not to get come on his uniform, a dead give away that would see both of them in a lot of trouble. He hissed as he tried to tuck himself back in his pants, the knot still sensitive.

Dean grimaced as the rapidly cooling come soaked through his clothes and onto his skin. “Ugh, I didn’t know Alphas came so much. Your house must have been a sight.” he chuckled.

Cas blushed. “What- what I did was correct, yes?” he asked shyly. “I.. uh.. pleased you?”

Dean smiled. “Yeah, babe. You must have pretty good instincts ‘cause I’ve never come that hard outside of a heat.” he admitted, looking down then leaning forward to kiss the Alpha sweetly.

Cas preened a little, his canines still prominent through his smug smile as he gazed at his Omega dreamily.

“ You’d better move, big guy. I need to clean up or you’ll be wearing the evidence.” Dean prompted, giving the Alpha a nudge.

Cas sniffed the air and cringed. “It smells like sex in here.” he commented as he rolled away and stood up, his cock still tenting his pants obscenely.

Dean grimaced at the now cold come coating his skin. “Yeah, I have some heat spray we can use. You’d better get it now before the smell travels outside the cell.” he said, shuffling forward on the bed and getting up gingerly, holding his clothes away from himself.

Cas opened Dean’s locker and grabbed the spray, liberally spraying around the doorway as Dean carefully stripped off his clothing and wiped himself down with a damp washcloth.

Cas turned to see his mate half naked and growled softly.

Dean chuckled. “I can tell you’re gonna be trouble. Your knot hasn’t even gone down and you’re already raring to go again.” he said fondly.

Cas blushed again. “You’re beautiful. How could I not?” he said shyly.

It was Dean’s turn to blush. “Charmer.” he accused, rolling his soiled clothing into a ball and burying it deep in the hamper in the corner of his cell. He sniffed the air around it and held his hand out, indicating he wanted the spray that Cas still held.

“ I’d better spray the clothes themselves, I guess. Not that anyone will go digging through my dirty chonies, but we can’t be too careful.” He said, lifting the soiled clothing out and spraying it liberally.

Cas felt a sudden irrational feeling of anger at his scent being erased from his Omega, but squashed it down.

Dean saw the expression on Cas’ face and guessed immediately what was wrong.

“ Hey, babe. Don’t worry, one day I’ll wear your bite and everyone will know I’m yours, okay?” he soothed.

Cas smiled softly. “And I’ll wear yours so everyone knows the same goes for you.” he said happily.

Dean’s eyes bulged and his mouth dropped open. “Y-you’d wear my bite?” he asked, in disbelief.

Cas frowned and nodded. “Of course. We’re true mates, why wouldn’t I?” he asked, confused.

Dean shook his head and laughed to himself. “You really are just perfect, aren’t you?” he mumbled, in shock. “You do realise that most Alphas don’t do that. People are gonna think you’re weak.” he reminded.

Cas shrugged. “Up until recently, I wasn’t an Alpha. I’m not sure I care what people think anyway.  _ We _ make it up as we go. I’ll wear your bite with pride.” he said stubbornly.

Dean grinned. “Same babe.” he said, diving at his Alpha to kiss him thoroughly. 


	8. Into the fold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> Welcome to all the new readers, hope you're enjoying it so far. Everybody join me in thanking FallenWatcher for her stellar work in editing this fic. She kindly scrubs all of my mistakes and uses her valuable free time to do so. She did almost the whole fic in ONE day, because she is a superstar. 
> 
> This chapter made me laugh while writing it. All of us have had the doctors appointment that has made us want to curl up and die of embarrassment. Poor Cas has that experience here, although it's not as bad as my first draft. I had to cut some of the scene out as it slowed down the story too much. So, no physical examination in this. Just a swab test. 
> 
> Dean gets Sam onboard and discovers his brother can relate a little more closely to his situation than he thought.

**Chapter Eight. Into the fold.**

  
  
  


Cas sat in a plush waiting room, the floor to ceiling windows revealing a view of the city and the river winding through it like a green ribbon. The grey, overcast sky hung low, threatening heavy mid spring rain. The sound of traffic muted from the busy streets below.

“ Castiel Novak? My word, I often wondered how you were getting on. It’s good to see you!” Dr Balthazar said, walking out of his office and extending his hand for Cas to shake. He smiled widely. “You’ve grown up a lot since I saw you last. Come, let’s go into my office and we can talk.”

Cas shook the man’s hand and followed him into the office where he took a seat in front of a huge metal and glass desk. Dr Balthazar sat on the opposite side of the desk smiling widely. “I’m very pleased to see you. Well, I must admit, I was worried for you when I saw you last. You seemed so lost, and your parents… well.”

Cas nodded. “Yes, they never did accept it fully. My mother never spoke to me again and my father carried through on his promise of seeing every so-called “expert” until my brother convinced him he was just encouraging charlatans and snake oil salesmen. They died only a few years later.”

Dr Balthazar looked grim. “Yes, I saw the stories in the papers about their accident. I’m sorry for your loss.” he said, opening a file on his desk and scanning it. “Now, what brings you here today? I’m afraid there have been no new developments for Unpresented people if that’s your reason for coming? Sorry to disappoint.” he said regretfully.

Cas shook his head. “Oh, no. It’s not that. You see, I actually presented a few weeks ago. That’s why I’m here, I need some advice.”

Dr Balthazar’s mouth dropped open and he looked stunned. “You- You did? My goodness! In all my years as a specialist, I’ve never seen one of my patients spontaneously present. Do you know what caused it?” he asked excitedly.

Cas took a deep breath. “Yes. My true mate. Only things are complicated.” he admitted.

“ Oh, how? I notice you have no bite mark on your neck, so I assume your true mate rejected you?” the doctor said sympathetically. He looked sad for his former patient.

“ Uh, yes. That’s what happened.” Cas lied. “I am finding it difficult to cope with my presentation. I had become used to being Unpresented, now I’m an Alpha without my true mate and it’s overwhelming and I’m not ready for other people's reactions to it, especially my family. I don’t want to have to keep explaining it while I’m still coming to terms with it myself. I have taken to wearing omega heat blockers to disguise my scent, but they are short term at best. Is there anything you can do to help me?” he asked, with a hangdog look on his face.

Dr Balthazar nodded sadly. “I’m sorry your mate rejected you. Some people are scared by the intensity of the bond. They may yet come around. Don’t lose hope. In the meantime, I can prescribe some blockers that are a lot less toxic for a maximum of four months. Normally, I’d encourage you to seek your family’s support instead, but..” he trailed off.

“ You’ve met my family.” Cas quipped.

Balthazar raised an eyebrow. “Yes, quite.” he agreed. “Please seek out a counsellor instead, they can help you work through this. I would also like to run some tests on you, if I may. Your sudden presentation could help others going through your previous condition, if I can pinpoint the trigger for true mate presentation.” he asked, looking eager. “I also need to confirm your presentation properly.”

Cas grimaced. “Tests? I- I’m not so sure..” he trailed off, flashbacks of the year spent being subjected to many painful and humiliating tests and treatments made his heart race as he shifted in his chair.

Balthazar held up a hand, as if trying to halt Cas’ spiral into panic. “I promise it is just a cheek swab or two, nothing more invasive than that. I swear. You are my patient, not a lab rat.” he assured. Taking out a couple of swabs and holding them up for Castiel to see.

Cas dutifully opened his mouth and Balthazar swabbed the inside of both cheeks before sealing one in a bag and writing on the label, then placing it in a tray with a dozen other samples. He then took the other to a cabinet filled with various bottles and jars. He took a small bottle and used a pipette to put a few drops of clear liquid on the swab. It turned blue within seconds and Balthazar smiled. “Well, it’s confirmed, you are a full blown Alpha. Congratulations.” he said, dropping the swab into the medical waste bin and washing his hands.

Cas looked relieved. “Will this be confidential? I don’t want my name mentioned in an article in a medical journal.” he said, his voice laced with a slight growl.

Balthazar looked weirdly delighted. “Oh. Of course it’s confidential. But.. you can growl and everything? How is your scenting ability?” he asked, curiously as he dried his hands on a paper towel, throwing it in the trash and reaching for another.

“ Um, you smell like coffee and.. strawberries?” Cas said, frowning. It was an odd combination on one person.

Balthazar looked pleased. “That’s amazing. I do indeed smell like coffee, my mate smells like strawberries. You can pick up even the slight hint of it in my scent. Excellent. Tell me, Can you achieve and maintain an erection?” he asked bluntly, throwing away the second paper towel.

Cas flushed hot. “Uh, yes. My rut was.. intense.” he admitted.

“ I would imagine, a first rut always is, but a rut triggered by a true mate? Did you achieve orgasm?” he asked, taking a seat at his desk.

Cas’ was sure his blush had spread down his neck and onto his chest by now. “Yes.” he said, clenching his jaw.

“ Any typical rut behaviours, territory marking, biting or bellowing?” Balthazar was writing notes on his computer.

Cas felt his blush go down to his knees. “Uh, yes. To the first two. But, bellowing? I don’t know what that is.” he admitted.

Balthazar chuckled. “Some Alphas go almost completely primal, almost every Alpha experiences it at some point, it’s just not talked about in polite circles. Bellowing is a mating call of sorts. It’s a trigger for Omegas, much like an Omega whine is a bit of a trigger for us Alphas.” he explained.

Cas shook his head. “Then, I’m not sure. Things got a little hazy around day three. I may have, I just don’t know.”

Balthazar nodded and carried on writing. “How is your aggression, any outbursts?” he asked.

Cas shook his head. “No. I growled at my brother when he pissed me off though. Does that count?” he said, worriedly.

Balthazar chuckled. “No, that’s fine. I’d say that’s fairly normal between brothers actually. I assume your brother knows you presented?” he asked, looking at Cas.

Cas nodded. “Yes, he is the only one. He knows the circumstances and is supportive. It’s the rest of the family I’m worried about. My oldest brother.. he won’t take it well.” he said, cringing. “Then there is the press to consider, they were less than kind about my diagnosis when it became public knowledge. I can’t imagine they won’t make it a circus now that I’ve presented.”

Balthazar looked sympathetic again. “Yes, I received a lot of hate mail back then, but a lot of new patients as well. As for your brother, he is the family Alpha I take it?” he asked gently.

Cas nodded. “Yes, and he won’t be pleased that I am now entitled to a portion of my father's estate. I would like the chance to prepare myself before I reveal the truth. On my terms, just this once.” he said, barely preventing himself from growling.

Balthazar nodded. “It’s quite understandable. I remember your family's reaction to your diagnosis before, I can’t imagine it will go any better this time around.” he said carefully. “As for the press, you’re right. It’ll be big news that the son of Chuck Novak finally presented at twenty seven.”

“ Indeed.” Cas agreed.

“ What best describes your scent? I can’t smell you through those blockers you’re wearing.” Balthazar asked, curiously.

Cas shrugged. “Uh, mandarins and sandalwood, with some kind of spice, I think?”

Balthazar nodded. “I bet that’s wonderful. Lucky you. I once had a patient who smelled like cabbage. Poor fellow.” he mused, taking more notes.

Cas grimaced. “Cabbage? That’s.. unusual.” he commented.

Balthazar nodded. “Yes, it turned out he had an abnormal growth on one of his scent glands. Once it was surgically removed, his scent cleared up and he smelled more like pine. I diagnose and treat all sorts of problems here. But I specialise in presentation disorders. I would love to eventually be able to treat the Unpresented. For now all I can do is diagnose them and then send them on their way with recommendations for counselling and support groups.” he said sadly, still taking notes.

Cas frowned. “That’s a noble goal, but I’d prefer if society would just accept those who present differently or not, as it were.” he grumbled.

Balthazar nodded. “I completely agree, in your case. However, not everyone takes it as well as you did. As for society, I only wish more Alphas agreed with us. We are in the minority it seems.” he lamented.

Cas smiled. He knew he’d made the right decision coming here.

“ What was your true mate's scent like? If it isn’t too upsetting, of course.” Balthazar asked, looking sheepish.

Cas closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Fresh cut grass and lemons. With just a hint of sweetness. Like a summer day.” he breathed out, his expression dreamy.

Balthazar sighed and shook his head. “You seem to have gotten over the physical rejection rather quickly, if not the emotional aspect. I suspect you only had brief contact with your true mate. Am I right?” he asked.

Cas nodded. “It wasn’t long at all. No.” he said sadly.

Balthazar looked sympathetic. “It’s rare, rarer than true mates even, but rejection of a true mate does happen sometimes. The intensity of the bond can be terrifying for some. Your instincts going crazy and taking over can be pretty overwhelming.” he said, kindly.

Cas nodded. “It was a lot for me too. It still is. It’s like I don’t even know myself anymore.” he said honestly. “The scents around me are too much, and so many of them. I’ve taken to soaking a handkerchief in blockers so I can get a break sometimes.” he said almost desperately. He was being 100% truthful.

Balthazar nodded and turned to face Cas again, lacing his fingers on the desk in front of him. “I would imagine it is. Presenting at twenty seven is much harder than presenting at thirteen. Then coping with rejection on top of that? Do you have a counsellor? I can recommend one if you like?” he offered.

Cas nodded. “I have one. Missouri Mosely? She helped me after.. the tests my father insisted on and then again after my parents died. I still see her occasionally. I also have a prescription for anti-anxiety and antidepressant meds.” he said, taking the prescription out of his wallet to show the doctor.

Balthazar looked at them and nodded. “Good, yes. She’s very good at what she does. Keep seeing her, tell her everything you’ve told me. I think you may have to switch your antidepressant though. You’ll need one geared towards your new presentation. These can have side effects for the newly presented, it can make your anxiety worse for instance.” he said, writing out a new prescription. “Here, these are far better, you might feel a little drowsy for a couple of days before they start working properly, so don’t drive. Maybe take an Uber to work or something. You can drink alcohol, but not too much. Think quality, not quantity.” he joked.

Cas smiled and took the prescription. “What about the blockers?” he asked. It was the reason he’d come here after all.

Balthazar sighed and rolled his eyes. “I’d forget my own head if it wasn’t screwed on.” he joked, writing out another prescription. “There, they simply spray on. I will warn you though, they need to be applied several times a day. I’ve used those myself when I worked my maternity rotation after med school. Alphas go crazy if they scent another non-familial Alpha near their mates or newborns, so all of the Alpha and Beta medical staff use them. It’s safe, but in the newly presented it can cause problems if used too much, so it’s a short term solution for you, I’m afraid.” he shrugged.

Cas nodded. It wasn’t quite enough to cover Dean’s entire sentence, but it gave them time to come up with a plan. “It’s better than nothing, and it buys me some time to prepare.” he said, feeling guilty about the deception, but grateful.

“ Oh, that reminds me, I can break out these.” Balthazar said excitedly, almost skipping over to a locked cabinet and opening it. He grabbed a stack of what looked like official paperwork and waved them triumphantly. “This is the first time I’ve signed a presentation form for one of my unpresented patients. Honestly, I’m so happy, I could cry right now. I’d suggest celebrating with a drink, but as you are my patient, it would be inappropriate. Not to mention it’s barely noon.” he chuckled, as he sat down at his desk and began filling out the form. “What was the date of your first rut?” he asked, looking at Cas expectantly.

Cas hesitated. “Can the form wait, until I’m ready?” he asked hesitantly. “I-” he started, but couldn’t think of a reason.

“ I am legally obliged to send these forms to the government, Castiel. However, the law states that they have to be sent within twelve weeks of presentation. Now, as your doctor, I only confirmed your presentation today, so technically I can give you until twelve weeks from now. Then I have to send them in or risk my license. We can’t have an unregistered Alpha running around, can we?” Balthazar explained.

Cas sagged in his chair. “I guess not.” he mumbled. Gabriel had been right after all. He had three months before he would have to come clean and leave his job. Meaning he and Dean would be separated for the last two months of his sentence. He just hoped he would understand.

“ I know your situation isn’t ideal, but it will get easier. You won’t always feel so overwhelmed. With time, you’ll come to appreciate those instincts you now have.” Balthazar said sympathetically. “Denying it isn’t healthy, you know.” he added softly.

Cas nodded. “I know. I just hoped for more time, that’s all.” he said miserably.

“ I’m here for you, Castiel. Call or drop by if you need anything, even if it’s just to chat.” Balthazar said kindly.

Cas nodded, although he knew he probably wouldn’t be coming back.

  
  
  


*****************

Dean chewed his lip nervously and barely restrained himself from hopping from foot to foot with anticipation. Sam had finally managed to arrange a visit. Apparently, Michael had barred Sam’s visits at first, as he had been involved in Dean’s attempted escape. But somehow, Sam had got around it and now he was here, waiting for Dean just a few feet away behind the door to the visiting room.

Alpha visiting day had come and gone, and Michael hadn’t shown up, as Dean had suspected he wouldn’t. Dean had been relieved, he hoped he would never have to meet Michael if he could help it. The other Omegas had gossiped about it endlessly; they all had theories about Michael. They ranged from “too busy” to “struck down by plague”

Cas stood by the door, he looked nervous and his eyes kept flicking between Dean and the door. He knew Sam was here, and was worried that his reaction would be bad. Dean had told him that he would tell Sam about them only if there was an opportunity. He could have written in code, but he wanted to tell Sam in person and he certainly didn’t want them to be discovered. It was too important to risk writing it down, even if he was sure the code couldn’t be broken. Michael had already proved to be smart and resourceful, it would be best not to leave anything to chance.

Cas opened the door and began ushering the Omegas in to see their visitors. When Dean passed him, he detected a slight hint of Alpha smell and looked at Cas with alarm, Cas gave a slight nod that showed he was aware, he tapped his pocket where a small pump spray of blockers were concealed. The prickle of fear Dean had felt faded slightly as he realised that Cas was on top of it.

He looked into the room and saw Sam sitting with a smaller woman he didn’t recognise at a table on the far side of the room.

“ Don’t worry.” Dean murmured to Cas as he waved at Sam, who waved back.

“ Be careful.” Cas murmured back. Dean knew what he meant, the woman was an unknown quantity. It looked like telling Sam would have to wait. His heart sank. He needed to tell Sam as soon as possible so that they could begin working on a plan. So far, he and Cas had not come up with much beyond their intention to be together. Cas had been too busy trying to find a solution for his scent. Although his brother Gabriel was working on protecting Cas legally from Michael once he “presented”.

He approached the table cautiously, staring at the strange woman openly. She smiled and held his gaze, not fazed in the slightest at the glare she was receiving.

“ Hey, Sammy. Who’s this?” he asked, sitting down and pointing at the woman.

Sam blushed. “This is Eileen. She’s my true mate.” he said, looking at her adoringly.

Dean’s eyes widened. “Oh, wow. Nice to meet you Eileen.” he said, looking overjoyed for his brother. “Where did you meet?” he asked her, his eyes prickling with tears and his throat thick with emotion.

Eileen hesitated for a moment, looking at Sam before answering. “We met at the courthouse when Sam was trying to get some documents from your trial.” she explained, her voice oddly flat and blurred. “We wanted to tell you in person.”

“ Eileen is deaf, but she reads lips, so just speak clearly and facing her and she’ll understand you.” Sam explained. “Don’t shout or over-enunciate, just speak normally without mumbling.” he instructed.

Dean’s eyebrows went up in surprise. “Cool, I’ll make sure to do that.” he said nodding, making sure Eileen could see his face. He gave her a smile that she shyly returned. “Congrats guys. I’m so happy for you.” he said, feeling a pang of jealousy at the ease of their situation. Meet. Mate. Live happily ever after. If only his own situation was that easy.

“ So you guys are still here and not back in California? What does Stanford say about that?” he asked, changing the subject as he surreptitiously wiped his eyes.

Sam shrugged. “I had enough credits to graduate early. So I did. I’m finished. I just have to take the bar exam.” he said smugly. “Getting into college early paid off, I guess. I’ll be the youngest lawyer in the state's history.”

Dean looked proud. “When is the bar exam?” he asked, seeing Cas moving towards an embracing couple to separate them. He did it gently, with quiet words of admonition and a sympathetic expression. The couple took it well, but with twin looks of disappointment.

“ Not for a while yet. In the meantime, I’m trying to figure out our situation.” Sam said, following Dean’s line of sight and frowning when he saw the prison officer was gazing at Dean just as longingly. “Dean? What… OOF!” he cut off rubbing his shin when Dean kicked him.

“ Dude, I need to tell you something. It’s big. I can’t write it down, my Alpha gets copies of all my mail. Can’t risk him breaking the code.” Dean hissed.

Sam looked sickened. “So, you know who he is then? I found out when he called me personally to tell me I wasn’t allowed to visit you. Did you know he has a brother who works here? Probably to spy on you, no doubt.” he said, looking disgusted.

Dean snorted. “Yeah, not so much.” he chuckled darkly as Sam looked confused.

Dean laughed again. “Let’s just say, you ain’t the only one who found their true mate.” he said, his voice pitched low so only Sam could hear.

Sam looked confused. “What? How?” he whispered, leaning forward.

“ Michael’s brother, the Unpresented? Yeah, not anymore. He’s my true mate, Sam.” Dean murmured, looking over at Cas and blushing slightly.

Sam looked over at Cas, and a dawning look of horror blossomed on his face. “Oh! Holy shit!” he exclaimed, his eyes darting between the two rapidly.

“ Fuck sake, Sam! Cool it, will ya? You’ll get us killed, you moron.” Dean hissed, kicking Sam’s shin again. Eileen looked concerned and it was obvious she couldn’t follow the conversation properly. She signed to Sam, who rapidly signed back as Eileen’s eyes grew wide with shock. She signed again and Sam turned back to Dean, his expression angry.

“ Jesus, Dean! You’re both breaking like… fifteen laws. Michael could legally kill you both.” Sam hissed. “Did you sleep with him? Please tell me he didn’t bite you, at least?”

Dean clenched his jaw and stared daggers at his brother. “Calm the fuck down, man. And, no. We’re not idiots, Sam. Fucking hell. We have a sort of plan, but we need help. If I give you his contact deets, will you meet with him so we can figure a way out of this mess?”

Sam looked at Eileen and his eyes softened. He sighed and nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, of course I will.” he promised.

Dean breathed a sigh of relief.

Sam turned back to Dean. “Okay, you’re gonna need to explain exactly what is going on, so I can help.” he looked up at the large clock on the wall. “And you only have twenty minutes to do it, so make it fast.”

Dean grinned. He knew he could count on Sammy.


	9. Meeting of minds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> H *waves*
> 
> I love this chapter. I'm fond of writing Sam and Cas as besties and this chapter marks the start of a beautiful friendship. Seriously, these two are bros for life, ride or die. 
> 
> As always. comments and kudos feed the monster. In fact, so far they inspired me to write an 8 page plot outline for my next fic. As if I haven't got enough on my plate, thanks a lot guys. 😂😂😂

**Chapter Nine. Meeting of minds.**

  
  


Castiel straightened the books on his shelves for the third time and looked around the room to see if anything was out of place. Dean had told him Sam’s favourite foods and drinks and although his kitchen skills were rudimentary at best, he’d gotten around it by buying a prepared salad and fresh baked rolls from the nearby deli.

He had hardly slept and his stomach churned with nerves. Sam was visiting today. He was finally meeting Dean’s brother and he wanted to make a good impression. He’d seen Sam’s reaction when he visited Dean and he was worried that the other Alpha had just had time to stew on it in the meantime. Cas didn’t want to deal with a possible hostile alpha in his home. With his new instincts, he was unsure of himself keeping the situation calm. Alphas were extremely territorial and he couldn’t guarantee keeping a cool head if Sam decided to challenge him.

He saw Meg out of the corner of his eye trying to sneak in the open back door towards his bedroom and darted after her.

“ Oh no you don’t! No way. Not today.” he said, grabbing her around the middle and depositing her outside, closing the screen door as she meowed pitifully.

“ No, I’m not falling for the pathetic act. I put food on the deck for you, so you’re not going to starve.” he scolded fondly.

The doorbell chimed and his heart plummeted into his stomach. He looked around quickly to reassure himself that everything was neat and tidy. He had become accustomed to Gabe leaving things in his home for him to discover later and had developed a keen eye for detail or anything out of place, something that made his job far easier too. Satisfied that everything was in order he headed for the door.

He wiped his sweaty palm on his pants and took a deep breath before opening the door.

He looked out through the screen door and up at the enormous Alpha on his doorstep. He knew Sam was tall, but standing in front of him right now, he realised just how downright  _ intimidating  _ the man was. His face had a calculating expression, as if he was studying everything and taking notes. Suddenly, Cas knew he was being measured up and placed in a pecking order. Sam was automatically figuring out whether he could take him or not and was unsure.

Cas pushed open the screen door, forcing Sam to take a step back and held out his hand. “Hello, Sam. Dean told me to expect you. Thank you for coming.” Cas said, proud that his voice didn’t waver and the hand he held out didn’t shake.

Sam looked at Cas’ hand for a moment before taking it and shaking it without squeezing the blood out of it in a pointless Alpha posture. It made his estimation of Sam go up a few notches.

“ Hello, Cas-teel? I’m sorry. Dean calls you Cas and I’ve only ever seen your name written down, so I wasn’t sure of the pronunciation.” Sam confessed without a hint of guilt.

Cas smiled as he gestured for Sam to come in. “Cas-ti-el. It’s fine, just call me Cas.” he offered, stepping back to allow Sam to pass.

Sam stood in the entrance hall, looking around unashamedly. “Nice place. How long have you lived here?” he asked politely.

“ Thank you. A few years now. My brother Gabriel helped me once I finished college. I got a good deal and the house is paid off entirely.” he said, wondering why he’d felt the need to say so much.

Sam looked surprised. “You don’t say? You live alone?” he asked, as Cas gestured towards the kitchen.

“ Yes. It was difficult to find roommates that were willing to share space with an Unpresented. So, Gabriel bought the house outright and then sold it to me. I couldn’t get a traditional mortgage without an Alpha’s signature, so he allowed me to pay him off in installments, until last year when an investment I made paid out and I could pay off the remainder in one lump sum.” Cas answered honestly. He cringed internally as he babbled nervously.

Sam headed through to the kitchen and sat at the small table, watching Cas critically as he prepared coffee.

“ Dean tells me you just graduated early, he’s very proud. You must have worked very hard to do that so soon. From what I’m told, you also went to college early as well?” Cas made small talk as he pulled two coffee cups out of the cabinet and set them down on the table.

Sam shrugged. “Yeah, I was sixteen. It was hard to leave Dean, but he insisted. He said it would help us in the long run.” he replied, although his face twisted with regret. “I was waiting to reach majority and then I was gonna challenge my Dad for Dean, get him out of the country. Go to Canada, maybe find our Mom. But, I chickened out of telling him for months. I left it too late. It’s my fault that Dean is in this situation.” he said miserably.

Cas looked up at Sam in surprise from where he was taking out a jug of cream. “What? No! It’s the system, Sam. It’s designed to keep Alphas on top and everyone else underneath.” he said, frowning as he reached for the sugar in another cabinet.

Sam shook his head. “I am an Alpha and I still couldn’t help him. Now Dean is stuck in jail and I-”

“ Sam! This shame spiral is not going to help Dean. We need to work together to figure out how to get him away from Michael and to safety after he gets out.” Cas barked out, making the younger Alpha jump in surprise as he placed the cream and sugar on the table with a bang.

Sam scrutinised Cas, scenting the air subtly and looked confused. “You really care about this, don’t you? I mean, true mates aside, you really hate the system, right?” he asked, nodding as Cas offered him coffee.

Cas sat down heavily and sighed as he poured a cup for himself. “It’s a system that stripped me of any rights when I failed to present as expected. A system that allowed my father to let anyone with a hint of medical experience perform tests and experiments on me for a year until he was convinced otherwise, because I am legally not even a person. It allowed my brother, Michael, to turn me out of my home and onto the streets with nothing.” he said tiredly. “So, yes, Sam. I hate the system. They say it works, but who for?”

Sam looked horrified. “Your father  _ experimented _ on you?” he looked appalled. “Fuck, you are not what I imagined at all.” he said, looking guilty.

“ What did you expect?” Cas asked, lifting an eyebrow in interest.

Sam sighed and lifted his coffee cup, blowing on the hot liquid before taking a sip. “I dunno. I thought you had to be an over-compensating jerk to work in an Omega prison for a start. I thought you being Michael’s brother made you entitled. I thought you wanted Dean for some sort of sick power play between you and your brother. Your family doesn’t exactly have the best track record for Omega rights. They own collar factories for god's sake.” he shrugged.

It was Cas’ turn to look appalled. “You really thought that?” he said, his voice rising in tone.

Sam grimaced. “A little, yeah. But, then I saw your house. I saw the flowers you must have planted yourself that encourage bees. I saw the bird box in the eaves. I saw the cat food put out for the stray cat that’s digging up your flowerbed right now. You helped your neighbour with his gutters yesterday. I saw you carry your elderly neighbour’s groceries for her this morning. You pulled her trash cans to the curb before you did your own. I heard you talking to the cat like it was a person, and I realised I was wrong to make those assumptions.” he said, with zero shame.

Cas blanched. “You’ve been watching me?” he asked, with a hint of a growl in his voice. He felt violated and threatened.

Sam stared him down, but flicked his eyes away with a slight shrug. “Yeah, when it comes to Dean, I had to be sure about you.”

Cas felt his hackles go down. Of course Sam would do that. He couldn’t imagine doing any less when it came to Dean.

“ He’s my true mate, Sam. I would never hurt him.” he reminded gently.

Sam nodded. “I know. If you feel anything like I do when it comes to Eileen, then believe me, I know.” he agreed. “I just had to be sure. When I heard that Michael was your brother, I was scared for Dean.”

Cas nodded and he and Sam shared a look that only Alphas with true mates would understand. A look that said they would die for their mate. Kill for them even.

“ It shocked me too. Michael has pretty much ignored my existence for the last few years, but that will change when he finds out that I have presented. He’ll try to make my life a living hell and I’ll be watched like a hawk.” Cas said, grimacing at the coffee. “Ugh, this is awful. I much prefer tea.” he murmured, pushing the cup away from himself.

Sam huffed a laugh. “I didn’t want to say out of politeness, but yeah. It’s pretty bad. In fact, I prefer tea too.” he smiled genuinely.

Cas chuckled. “So, spying on me is okay, but telling me the coffee sucks is impolite?” he quipped as Sam blushed. He stood to clear away the coffee cups as Sam shrugged off his jacket.

“ Still not sorry about that.” Sam said, although his cheeks flushed slightly. “Why would Michael come after you if he doesn’t know about you and Dean?” he asked, confused.

“ When I didn’t present, my shares in my father's company went to the family Alpha, Michael. It gives him a clear controlling interest. When I formally present, those shares revert back to me and although my shares aren’t much, it’s enough if I choose to join up with one of my brothers, Michael would lose control of the company. The estate would still be his, of course. But he could be outvoted and even fired as head of the company.” Cas explained as he spooned loose tea leaves into a clear pot and poured boiling water over them.

Sam looked thoughtful. “Maybe you could hold that over him somehow so he’d let Dean go.” he suggested.

Cas shook his head. “No, Michael would never give in to it. You have to understand, He’d rather drive the entire company into the ground than be blackmailed. Until we find a way of getting Dean out of this, Michael cannot know that I am Dean’s true mate. We would never see Dean again.” he warned. “Michael will not budge once he has decided on something.”

Sam slumped. “Dammit. I thought I was onto something there.”

Cas nodded. “My brother Gabriel and I are working on protections for when I formally present. Michael will try everything to ensure I don’t endanger his position. Gabriel is working on something that will get me out of the country, therefore, we must find a way of getting Dean out too.” he said, placing the teapot on the table in front of Sam and getting two tea cups from the cabinet.

Sam frowned. “Where are you going?” he asked.

Cas sighed. “Gabriel has a large plot of land in Canada that he intends to turn into a ski resort slash spa. The plan is that I will be overseeing the planning and construction stages. I have an advanced degree in architecture, and a minor in project management, so the story is believable.” he said, pouring the tea through a tiny strainer he had balanced on top of the tea cup.

Sam nodded. “Michael won’t question that, I guess?” Sam asked.

Cas shook his head. “No, he won’t. But Michael is not our only problem. Luke will also be interested in my shares. He has been trying to wrest control from Michael for years. He’ll see this as an opportunity to finally push Michael out and run the company the way he wants to. Gabriel sold just enough shares so that his portion won’t make a difference one way or the other, but my portion is intact and could swing it. Luke will be pressuring me too.”

Sam grimaced. “I’ve heard a little about him, he’s not much better than Michael.” he said, accepting the pot of honey Cas passed him.

Cas nodded in agreement. “No, he’s not. Between them I won’t have space to breathe, let alone get your brother out of the country. But, I can keep their eyes on me, the busier I can keep them, the more chance we’ll have of getting Dean out.” he said.

Sam looked impressed. “Okay, so we’re back to the same problem we had before. Getting Dean to Canada. At least we have a little more time to plan this time around.” he said, stirring his tea thoughtfully.

Cas nodded. “I’m afraid I have been struggling to find a way. I’ll admit, I probably should have contacted you before, and I should have put more thought into Dean’s situation. I just...” he trailed off. “I should have done more by now.” he finished lamely.

Sam looked sympathetic. “Presenting suddenly like that blind-sided you a bit, huh?” he guessed.

Cas nodded. “Yes. I have been struggling to cope. I’m sorry if that makes me a weak Alpha, but I never expected to… I thought I would be alone forever. I had accepted that.” he swallowed the lump in his throat. “Please don’t think I don’t want your brother, I do. More than anything. I used to dream of having someone of my own. But as the years went on, I gave up hope. I was content. Then when I met Dean… everything happened so fast. It’s hard to come to terms with it.” he explained.

Sam nodded and looked thoughtful. “Do you love him?” he asked.

Cas’ breath caught. “I… Yes. With every fibre of my being. It shouldn’t be possible. But yes, I do.”

Sam leaned in. “Then you’re doing enough. You’re not a weak Alpha at all. What you and Gabriel are doing is smart. The longer you can keep Lucifer and Michael at each other's throats, the more time it’ll give to get Dean out.” he said comfortingly.

“ If Michael doesn’t claim him immediately.” Cas said, looking sick.

Sam also looked sick for a moment. “Is there a way to keep Dean where he is a little longer? Just until we’re ready, that is?” he asked.

Cas grimaced. “There is, but it would make your brother's life very difficult and involve him getting in a lot of trouble. I’m not sure either of us could take him being put in solitary confinement.” he confessed.

Sam shuddered. “Dean wouldn’t do well in solitary. At all.” he agreed.

They went quiet for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts.

“ I wish we could all talk together. I hate that Dean is left out of this discussion.” Cas said, ruefully.

Sam hummed an agreement. “Yeah, I guarantee he does too.”

“ We need a safe way to smuggle him out of the country.” Cas murmured thoughtfully.

“ We tried that, that’s what got us here.” Sam said bitterly.

“ But there must be some way we haven’t thought of yet. Omegas escape across the border all the time, they flee their Alphas and start a new life. The government tries to keep it quiet, but we still hear stories. There must be some sort of network helping them.” Cas said ruefully.

Sam nodded. “Yeah, but Michael is keeping tabs on me too. He still suspects that I helped Dean last time. If I start asking around it’s gonna throw up a few red flags and it’ll be it for us all over again.” he said angrily.

“ Would you mind if I called my brother Gabriel? He may have a few ideas. He can be a little hard to take, but I trust him with my life. Even Dean’s life.” Cas asked, reaching for his phone.

Sam nodded. “If you’re that sure about him, then yeah. I guess.” he agreed.

Cas stood up and excused himself as he went into the entrance hall to call Gabe.

Gabe picked up on the third ring.

“ _ Hey Bro, what’s shakin’?”  _ said Gabe, sounding cheery.

“ Hello Gabe. I was wondering if you’re busy this afternoon? I need some advice.” Cas asked, bracing himself for Gabe’s inevitable freak-out.

Gabe’s tone changed immediately. “ _ Are you okay? What happened? I can be there in thirty minutes. Hold on, okay? Don’t go into the light!”  _ he said immediately freaking out.

Cas rolled his eyes and looked up as if praying for patience. “Gabe, I’m fine. I just need advice, not an ambulance.” he said in a long suffering tone.

“ _ You never ask for advice, or help. You can’t blame me for panicking, Cas.”  _ Gabe snarked back. “ _ I wasn’t joking, I can get there in thirty minutes if it’s important.” _

Cas immediately felt guilty. “Um, well. It’s just that Dean’s brother is here and-”

“ _ Is he threatening you? I’ll kill him. Or I’ll help bury the body after you kill him.”  _ said Gabe, panicking again. “ _ Just let me change these pants I’m wearing, I just bought them and they’re Armani.” _

Cas laughed out loud. “Gabe, calm down. No need for the dramatics. I should have said that _we_ need advice. Sam is here to help. He wants Dean to be free as much as I do.”

Gabe went quiet. “ _ Okay then. I tell you what, I’ll come over in an hour with some Thai food and a few beers and we’ll have a chat then, okay? _ ” he said, sounding relieved.

“ One second, let me check with Sam.” Cas said, putting his head into the kitchen. “Sam, Thai food and beer okay with you? Can you stay a little longer? My brother will be here in an hour.” he said, looking hopeful.

Sam grinned. “Yeah, that sounds great. Is one more person okay? My mate is in the car. I wasn’t sure how this would go, so...” he trailed off.

Cas nodded. “By all means, bring her in. She is welcome in my home.” he agreed. Then to Gabe he said. “Bring enough for four, Sam’s Omega will be joining us, so be on your best behaviour.” he warned.

“ _ I’ll behave. I am capable of it you know.”  _ Gabe said huffily. _ “Kali is chatting to her folks tonight on Skype or Zoom or whatever the kids are calling it these days, so she wants me out of the house anyway _ .”

“ She’ll be missed. Tell her I’ll come see her this weekend.” Cas promised.

“ _ Yeah, she’ll love that. I’ll ask her to make that lentil thing you like. Remember, don’t eat before you come over, she’ll want to feed you up. _ ” Gabe joked.

Cas chuckled. “I learned my lesson, don’t worry. I’ll see you in an hour.” he said, before hanging up. He turned to see Sam standing behind him and jumped in surprise. Really, the Alpha was far too big to move so silently, it was disconcerting.

Sam suppressed a laugh at Cas’ consternation. “I’m just gonna go get Eileen, my mate. She’s curled up in the truck with a book, but she’ll be over the moon with Thai food.” he said as he passed him.

Cas nodded and pushed his phone into the pocket of his slacks. He supposed he should probably prepare more drinks, possibly snacks for his guests. He had never had anyone over to visit other than Gabe and Kali before and he felt his nerves come back full force.

He busied himself pulling out plates and cutlery, feeling a wave of panic that he wouldn’t have enough for everybody. When Kali came over, she would bring dishes with her as well as enough food for an army. Normally Cas ate alone, so had no need for a full set of dishes. His anxiety spiked when he heard the front door open and Sam and his Omega coming back in.

Sam walked into the kitchen with his arm over the shoulder of a pretty brown haired woman with a bright smile and shining eyes. She leaned in close to Sam, not to shield herself, but with an easy affection.

Sam began to make an introduction. “Cas, this is Eileen. She’s deaf, but if-”

Cas stepped forward and spoke and signed at the same time. “Hello, Eileen. Welcome to my home.”

Eileen beamed and Sam looked stunned. “How did… You can sign?” Sam spluttered out.

“ Dean told me about you both. I learned sign language as part of my job. Not all of my charges are able bodied.” Cas admitted shyly, his cheeks a little pink.

Eileen signed and spoke. “You sign well, I’m impressed.” she said, then looked up at Sam with adoring eyes. “I like him, he’s sweet.” she announced.

Cas blushed and Eileen laughed as Sam couldn’t help but posture a little, flexing and growling a little at hearing praise of another Alpha from his Omega.

Cas felt his own instincts flare a little at the display and his anxiety spiked higher. He thought longingly of the little bottle of pills in his bathroom cabinet that helped him in social situations. But he didn’t want to show weakness in front of this strange Alpha.

“ Please, we can sit in here or wait for Gabe on the back deck, it’s a nice afternoon.” Cas said, gesturing over to the table.

Eileen grinned and dropped into the chair nearest the window, looking out to admire the deck and the garden beyond.

Sam gave her a fond look and then smiled at Cas who was still struggling on the edge of panic. Sam scented the air slightly and gave Cas a puzzled look.

“ You okay? I can’t get a scent from you, but you look a little rattled.” he asked kindly.

Cas nodded. “I wear blockers, Sam. But yes, I’ll admit to being a little nervous. I don’t have guests very often, or at all really. I’m not sure if I have enough dishes for everyone when Gabriel arrives with the food.” he confessed. He didn’t know why he kept telling Sam everything at once.

Sam just grinned and relaxed his posture. “Well, if it makes you feel better, we’re not guests, we’re family. You’re my brother's mate. And as for the food, we’ll just eat out of the containers, we’re not fussy.” he said, obviously trying to put Cas at ease.

Amazingly, it worked, and Cas felt his own body relaxing at the calming scent Sam was putting out. He realised Sam had been doing that since he had walked in the house, the man had extraordinary control over his scent and despite his size, Cas had never felt truly threatened. The soothing scent of lemon balm and mint was underpinned by the Alpha bass notes of freshly turned earth. He wondered if Sam did it consciously or if he really was a gentle giant. From what Dean had told him, it was probably a mixture of the two.

“ Thank you. I was worried about being a poor host. My people skills are a little rusty.” Cas confessed.

Sam chuckled. “You seem to be doing okay to me, Dude.” he said as he slapped Cas on the shoulder good naturedly before sitting down next to Eileen and taking her hand to kiss her knuckles.

Cas looked at the young couple fondly, but with a slight hint of jealousy. The chances of being with Dean like that were still remote, but he couldn’t see any other way but to try.

Cas offered Eileen a drink and she accepted a glass of water. They sat at the table as Sam kept the conversation going, putting Cas more at ease than he’d felt in a long time. Little by little he felt himself relax as Sam asked him questions about his life and offered up stories of his and Dean’s childhood.

Eileen joined in with stories of her own and Cas was laughing at a story she was telling about a prank she had pulled on her cousin, when the front door opened as Gabe burst in carrying a bag of delicious smelling Thai food and cursing as he got his jacket caught on the door handle.

“ Fuck! Cassie, grab the beer from the car would ya? If your door would stop trying to give me the bad touch for a minute, I can start opening the cartons and then we can chow down while- Whoa! Guess the Hulk here is Deano’s little brother. Well, younger anyway.” he freed his jacket and held out a hand towards Sam and grinned. “I’m Gabriel and I’m guessin’ you’re Sam, amirite? Where’s your Omega?” he looked around a now standing Sam to Eileen who looked amused.

“ Oh, hey! Didn’t see you there, hiding behind Jolly green here. Jesus, what did his parents feed him anyway? Vitamin G for giant?” he laughed, looking up at Sam from his significantly shorter stance.

Cas sighed and shot Sam and Eileen an apologetic look before going out to get the beer from the car without a word.

Gabe began unloading the bag of food on the table, slapping a stack of napkins down in front of Eileen and a handful of plastic forks in front of Sam he chattered away about the traffic and the parking at the Thai place until Cas came back in with the beer.

“ Gabe, let them get a word in will you? And you need to look at Eileen or she won’t understand a word you are saying.” Cas said patiently.

Gabe looked up at Eileen studying her as she gave him an amused look. “My bad. I’m used to making up for Mr socially inept here.” he said pointing over his shoulder towards Cas who rolled his eyes.

Sam chuckled. “He’s doing fine. Eileen is deaf, like Cas said, just look at her when you speak and she’ll understand.” he said, standing up to take a couple of beers from Cas and handing one to Eileen.

Gabe looked at the exchange with approval. “You let your Omega drink?” he asked, bluntly, making Cas’ choke on his beer as Sam growled.

“ Yeah, what of it?” Sam asked coldly, glaring at Gabe.

Gabe didn’t look the slightest bit intimidated. “Just makin’ sure you’re not one of those Alphas, that’s all. You’re not gonna growl and snarl at me if I make small talk with your mate are you? Just getting the lay of the land, is all.” he said with a shrug as he opened a carton of noodles and sat down next to Sam.

Sam relaxed a little. “Eileen is her own person. She’ll talk to you if  _ she  _ wants to.” he stated, taking a sip of his beer and winking at Eileen who grinned and she helped herself to some vegetables.

Cas gave Gabe a dirty look and sat down. “Could you not be a dick, just this once?” he asked, snatching the noodles out of Gabe’s hand, making Sam snort out a laugh.

“ You two remind me of me and Dean.” he observed. “He likes to torment and embarrass me too, Cas. So I feel your pain.” he sympathised.

Gabe rolled his eyes. “You gonna start a support group for poor tormented little brothers? Sign me up, my big brothers are assholes.” he said pretending to cry and making Eileen laugh.

Cas grimaced at the mention of Michael and Luke. “That’s why we asked you to come actually. We’re trying to find a way of getting Dean away from Michael before he has the chance to... mate him.” Cas said, with great difficulty.

Gabe sat back and took a sip of his beer. “Well, we either break Dean out of jail early and you two go on the run. Or we do this smart and play Michael so that he thinks it’s his idea to let Dean go.” he said with a smug look.

Cas frowned. “When have you ever known Michael to change his mind? Or allowed himself to be manipulated?” he said doubtfully.

Gabe snorted and pointed at Cas. “True, but I have known him to abandon ideas that don’t pan out. Not to mention people that he has no use for any more.” he reminded him.

Cas wilted at the memory of being thrown out on the street. A faint scent of sadness and despair leaked through his blockers which had begun to wear off.

“ How would we even do that? Make Dean useless to Michael?” Sam asked, looking concerned.

Cas shrugged. “Nothing I care to consider, Sam.” he said gravely.

Gabe tapped his fingers on his beer bottle. “I agree, but it would have to be drastic to make Mikey abandon Dean. What I’m actually saying is, we could make it appear that way. Then he’d drop Deano like a hot potato.” he said, taking a sip.

“ What are you suggesting?” Sam asked, intrigued.

Gabe placed his beer bottle down and looked around to make sure everyone was paying attention, seeing everyone staring at him he continued.

“ Okay, Mikey wants an attractive, fertile Omega so he can continue his line or whatever right? When he signed the contract with Dean’s dear old Dad, he had to have seen Dean’s fertility score, right? That’s the law. And I’m guessing Deano scored high, amirite?” he looked at Sam who nodded angrily.

“ Not to mention there’s a high chance of Alpha births from male Omegas. We make it look like Deano gets a little infection that brings his fertility score way down and Mikey will run for the hills. Sam offers to buy him back, I’ll front the money if needs be, and Dean is free.” Gabe finished, holding his hands out as if to say  _ TA-DAH! _

Sam felt sick. All Omegas were tested after their first heat and given a fertility score, Dean’s had indeed been high. He would have no problem falling pregnant during a heat and could even fall pregnant outside of a heat. Alphas were not subjected to any humiliating tests as their virility was never questioned. It disgusted him then and now that an Omegas worth was on their ability to provide children.

Cas had an odd look on his face, partial disgust and a hint of longing. Sam realised he was fighting his instinct to take joy in his Omegas fertility and feeling disgust with himself over that fact.

“ How would he even get an STI in prison?” Sam asked, pointing out a flaw in the plan.

Cas leaned forward. “Um… There is a way. Omega prisons have a problem with contraband. But not with the things you’d think. It’s not drugs, moonshine or cell phones. It’s… omega aids. I can’t tell you how many I’ve had to confiscate. We get a few cases a year of Omegas developing a RTI’s because of home made or improperly cleaned dildo’s.” he said, blushing furiously.

Sam’s mouth dropped open and Gabe laughed out loud. “Well then, Deano just has to get his hands on a fake knot, and we’re good to go.”

Cas sighed. “Michael may not let Dean go even then. He could keep him as a...concubine or a house Omega instead of mating him. We still need a way out of the country if that is the case.” he said miserably.

Sam gave him a sympathetic look.

Gabe nodded. “Yeah, he might. But he won’t be watching him as closely as he would a potential mate. That’s when we smuggle Dean out, I’ll take him myself on my private plane if needs be. I’d rather not have to, I have a business to run and I can’t very well run it properly from overseas if I get busted.” he explained. “But if he lets him go, then you mate him before you leave, there’s no problem taking him with you. He’s your Omega.” he said with a shrug.

Sam shook his head. “No, Michael can invoke the familial Alpha law. Once Dean is mated, he’s a Novak, not a Winchester. Michael is the Novak family Alpha, he can’t touch Dean physically, but as a familial Alpha he can claim that Cas is not a good Alpha and sue for custody, like I was going to do for Dean with my Dad.”

Cas nodded. “Michael would absolutely do that, and he has powerful friends to back him. So we’re back to smuggling Dean across the border.” he said bitterly.

Gabe looked at Sam. “If Michael gives him up, then Dean will be handed back to your Dad, right? Then you invoke familial Alpha law and he’s yours. Then _ you  _ take him across the border. You’re a smart kid, just graduated college early. I always need smart people in my team. I’ll give you a job. How does “Senior contract supervisor” sound? Starting salary of $200,000 a year, a judge won’t dare refuse you with prospects like that.” he offered.

Sam’s mouth dropped open and Eileen gasped. “What? What even is a Senior contract supervisor?” he asked, looking stunned.

Gabe shrugged. “Dunno, just made it up. We’ll figure something out.”

Sam shook his head. “I wanted to be a lawyer so I could make a difference for Omegas here, help them win freedom, not make a ton of money in Canada.” he said sadly.

Gabe rolled his eyes. “Nobody is saying you can’t do both. Take the job, get Dean to Canada and he and Cas can live happily ever after. Then come back here and save the rest, Jolly green.” he said, as if Sam was an idiot. “If you do the job for a year, it’ll give you and the missus a head start in life.”

Sam looked at Eileen who shrugged. He looked at Cas who had a pleading look on his face. He looked at Gabe and nodded. “Okay. I’ll do it.” he agreed.

Cas let out a breath of relief and smiled. “Thank you, Sam.” he said quietly. He turned to Gabe with glossy eyes. “Thank you, Gabe.”

Gabe held up his pointer finger. “I just have one thing I want in return. Cassie has to sell his shares to me. Not straight away, mind you. I want those two assholes foaming at the mouth to get those shares for as long as possible. But in the end, the shares go to yours truly. I’ll give you a fair price for them.” he stipulated.

Cas frowned. “Why? I thought you sold your shares because you wanted nothing to do with the company? Mine aren’t enough for a controlling interest.” he said, looking confused.

Gabe shook his head. “Nope, I actually sold mine to a couple of companies that belong to another company that I own. I can retrieve them any time I want. They technically never left my possession. Mikey and Luke sold a few last year when they needed some liquid assets and I nabbed them through a couple of other companies. With yours, I’ll just about have a controlling interest and I’ll boot both those assholes off the board.” he grinned.

Cas’ eyebrows went up to his hairline and Sam gasped. “Is that legal?” Sam asked, looking dubious.

Gabe shrugged. “Yep, remember when President Dum-dum repealed all those laws preventing market fraud? And allowed for silent investors? Yeah, that.” he said smugly. “So, no need to thank me. I’ll be getting mine.”

Cas looked at his brother with entirely new eyes. “Just out of curiosity, what will you do with the company once you have control?” he asked.

Gabe chuckled. “I’ll make all of the collar factories re-tool and start making Omega aids. I know a few people and have contracts and orders lined up.”

Cas was surprised into a laugh as Sam spluttered. “You’re gonna make dildo’s?!”

Eileen curled over as she laughed so hard, tears ran down her face. Cas wasn’t much better off, his face was split into a grin so wide that most of his gums were showing.

“ I figure I can send Mikey and Luke some samples, then they really can go fuck themselves.” Gabe said, bursting into laughter himself as Cas lost it completely, sliding down in his chair and holding his stomach.

“ Well, now if I’d have known it would get that reaction, I would have told you sooner.” Gabe said, wiping his eyes.

Eileen leaned forward. “Wait, so you’ve been planning this the whole time?” she asked, her quiet voice cutting through the laughter.

Gabe sobered a little. “Sort of.” he admitted. “I’ve wanted to get revenge on those two for a long time. This is a good opportunity. When Cassie was diagnosed, Michael refused to even acknowledge him and Luke, well. He seemed supportive at first, but in reality he was trying to get Cas to... end it. I caught him boasting to his friends that all Cas needed was a little push and the family embarrassment would take care of itself.” he said, the rage in his expression instantly sobered the group.

“ Jesus.” Sam breathed. “What a piece of shit.”

Eileen’s eyes were damp as she reached for Cas’ hand and squeezed it. “We’ll help you. Not for the money, but for you and Dean.” she said softly.

Sam nodded. “Yeah, dude. It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. You’re  _ our _ family now. I’d do anything for Dean, but I’m gonna enjoy it just a little more knowing we’ll be fucking those assholes over.” he assured.

Cas gave them a sad smile. “Thank you, but I’d be happy if we just get Dean to safety.” he said, his deep voice sounding even rougher.

Gabe nodded. “Okay, so we all need to do some research. Cas, you need to find out the procedure for sick Omegas in the prison. Where they outsource for testing and such. Then I can work on getting someone in. The Omega registry-”

Sam interrupted. “We’ve got that covered. Eileen works there. It’s where we met.” he said, looking at his mate and blushing.

Eileen smiled up at her Alpha. “Sam was trying to find out who Dean’s legal Alpha was by sneaking into the records room. I caught him and well...” she said, laughing and also blushing.

Cas remembered how it felt when meeting his true mate and his eyes widened. “Oh.” he said, chuckling.

Sam looked over and smiled. “Yeah, oh.” His cheeks were pink as well.

Gabe laughed. “Right in the records room? Nice.” he leered. “I met Kali in a hotel lobby. We were pulled apart by her family. Nearly went into Alpha rage right there and then. Took a little bit of convincing, but her Dad came around. It was okay, ‘cause it meant I could make it a little more romantic, y’know?” he said, with a wistful look on his face.

Cas smiled. “I never took you for a romantic.” he commented, looking bemused.

Gabe shrugged. “I thought I wasn’t, then I met Kali. Turned into a sap overnight. I told you, your true mate brings out who you really are. I think nothing of sending her a thousand roses just because it’s Tuesday. I’d walk through fire for her.” he said honestly.

Sam and Cas nodded. They understood the feeling all too well. 


	10. Old wounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> Poor Cas. As the title suggests, an old wound is poked at in this chapter. *trigger warning for panic attack*
> 
> I don't go into detail about what Cas went through when he was younger, but it was bad enough to affect him years later. He is still on medication and has sees a counsellor regularly. He shuts down, something that anyone who suffers from panic attacks will know about. It's a defence mechanism of sorts. Don't feel bad if it happens to you, it's normal and your minds way of coping with trauma. Like "Hey, I noticed you have too many feelings, Imma switch 'em off for a bit to give you a break, 'kay?"   
> Take a nap, eat some comfort food, stay the fuck away from toxic people and indulge in some self care. You'll naturally reboot on your own.

**Chapter Ten. Old wounds.**

  
  


“ What the fuck? No!” Dean hissed angrily as Cas explained the plan. “That’s- That’s the worst idea ever!” he raged as Cas tried to calm him.

They were behind one of the massive washing machines in the laundry, the noise and steam covering their clandestine conversation.

Cas sighed and turned a pleading look at the Omega. “Dean, it’s the only way Michael will leave you alone. I know it’s distasteful and embarrassing, but-”

“ I’ve never even been with anyone like that, and now I’ve gotta have an STI?” Dean snapped. “FUCK!” he snarled, kicking out at a box in temper.

Cas growled as his inner Alpha reacted to the news that his Omega was untouched. He immediately felt disgusted with himself and looked guilty as Dean gave him a dirty look.

“ Really?” Dean accused, looking annoyed.

Cas shrugged looking embarrassed. “Sorry. I can’t help it. You might as well have said “chase me” and run away naked.” he said defensively.

Dean rolled his eyes. “Definitely an Alpha.” he muttered, sighing deeply.

Cas stepped forward a little. “I’m sorry. But we can make this work, you’ll see.” he promised. He explained the rest of the plan and Dean found himself laughing, clutching his stomach and leaning against the wall heavily.

“ He’s gonna make dildo’s?” Dean gasped out, tears of laughter in his eyes. “I guess a little humiliation is worth that. Okay, I’m in.” he agreed, still laughing.

Cas sighed with relief. “Thank you, Dean. I promise, you won’t regret it. We’ll be so happy, you’ll see.” he promised.

“ Yeah, well. Say that again when we’ve got five kids and a mortgage to pay.” Dean joked, smiling when Cas’ face lit up.

“ You want kids Alpha?” he asked slyly. “’Cause I kinda want a half dozen of the little buggers.”

Cas looked emotional. “Yes.” he croaked out, his eyes turning glossy. “I just never thought I would have any. You’ve just made me the happiest man alive.” he said, reaching for Dean and clutching his hand tightly.

Dean beamed and angled his body so he was a little closer to the Alpha. “Yeah? Me too.” he admitted. They gazed at each other lovingly, enjoying the moment.

A loud hiss from the industrial press made both men jump apart guiltily as they realised they could be discovered any moment.

“ Okay, I’ll uh, just go and uh...” Cas said, standing up straight and clearing his throat.

Dean nodded. “Yeah, I’ll go and uh, finish up what I was doing, I guess.” he said hurriedly. “Don’t wanna get in trouble with the P.O’s” he joked.

Cas nodded and walked off, his back stiff and straight as he headed towards the door of the laundry.

Dean took a moment before he sneaked back around the machine and continued sorting sheets. He looked over to see Kevin watching him curiously and swallowed down the panic as he realised the Omega had probably seen Cas coming out from behind the machine mere moments before he did. Dean was still pissed that the surprise search of the cells had turned up nothing to prove anyone was spying on him. He was back to square one of discovering who was watching him. Someone surely was, Michael would want to protect his investment, after all.

He shrugged. “He wanted to know if I knew about some contraband they’ve heard is being smuggled in. Told him I got no idea and even if I did, I’m not about to rat anyone out, am I? Last thing I want is trouble when I’ve only got a few months to go.” he lied quickly.

Kevin narrowed his eyes. “What contraband was he asking about?” he asked, curious.

Dean shrugged. “He didn’t say and I didn’t ask. The less I know, the better. Like I said, I’m only interested in keeping my head down ‘til I get out.” he insisted.

Kevin nodded, seeming to accept Dean’s explanation, although he still looked wary.

Dean looked up at the sheet that Kevin was pressing. “Hey, I think it’s done, dude. It’s burning.” he warned.

Kevin yelped as he realised the sheet had a large brown burn mark in the centre. “Damn it!” he cried, lifting the press and staring forlornly at the ruined sheet. “Well, that’s coming out of my reparations.” He griped.

“ You still got a lot to pay off?” Dean asked.

Kevin nodded. “Yeah, not all of us have a rich Alpha to pay our reparations. Some of us have to work it off before we can be free.” he spat nastily.

Dean shrugged. “I’ll be paying for it in the end, dude.” he grumbled, pissed off at and for the young Omega. The reparation system was the worst, Omegas had to literally pay for their crimes, by working as slave labour. Unless they had the money or an Alpha prepared to pay. Any mistake added to their tally in the form of “fines”. Alphas had no such system, it was just another way to keep Omegas down.

Kevin gave him an odd look as he registered what Dean had said. He took the sheet and stared at it hatefully.

Dean took pity on him and walked over and took it from his hands. “Here, give it to me. Like you said, I got no reparations, my Alpha took care of it. So just put it on my tab, yeah?” he offered quietly.

Kevin gave him a suspicious look. “Why? You said you wanted to keep your head down, this is the opposite of that.” he said, narrowing his eyes.

Dean shrugged and took the sheet. “I figure now you owe me a favour. And I don’t think a sheet is gonna make much of a difference for me, dude. No offence.” he said, placing the sheet in the bin of pressed sheets he had already done.

Kevin sighed. “Okay, what do you want?” he asked hesitantly.

Dean smiled. “An Omega aid. I know some of you have them. I’ll pay for it, but I don’t know where to get one in here and a guy has needs, y’know?” he confessed quietly.

Kevin grinned. “Sure. I know a guy. It’ll cost you a couple of crates of soda though. Drop them off in my cell, and someone will deliver it to you within a few hours, okay?” he whispered conspiratorially.

Dean smiled. “Deal.” he said, throwing an unblemished sheet over to Kevin who took it and added it to his own pile.

****************

  
  


“ Okay, bro. So, the lab is privately owned by an Alpha named Dick Roman. Know him, hate him. He’s a slimy, self-satisfied asshole. They have several government contracts for clinics and best of all, the prison.” Gabe explained to Cas as they shared lunch on the back deck of Castiel’s home.

Cas nodded. “Okay, so we know where the prison outsources its medical testing. How do we infiltrate it in order to change Dean’s results?” he asked, trying to block Meg from stealing the sandwiches on the table.

Gabe grinned. “I made him an offer he can’t refuse.” he said, doing a poor impression of Marlon Brando in the Godfather.

Cas rolled his eyes. “In what way?” he asked.

Gabe shrugged. “I’ve been sitting on a nice little property right next door to Roman’s holiday home in Hawaii. I was gonna expand the hotel, put in a couple of luxury villas with a full complement of staff, a dock for the private yachts and so on.” he explained, taking one of the sandwiches and breaking off a piece. He threw it to Meg who pounced on it as if half-starved. Something Cas knew to be a lie considering just how much he spent on cat food each week.

“ Anyway, I offered it to him instead, on the condition that he let me buy the lab and assume the contracts by the end of the month. He practically bit my hand off. The government contracts are practically worthless, he can get way more from private companies and he only honoured them for the tax break he got, a tax break he can get from elsewhere now the laws have been repealed. Nothing is coming out of that lab, that I don’t want to.” Gabe continued.

Cas looked surprised. “You  _ bought _ the lab?” he asked. “Gabe, just how much is this costing you? And how can I ever repay that?” he asked worriedly.

Gabe shook his head. “It’s peanuts to me, bro. Besides, I owe you. So lets call it even.” he shrugged.

Cas looked confused. “Gabe, you’ve helped me more than any other person in my life. You were there when no-one else was. I owe you everything, how could you possibly owe me anything?” he said, sitting forward to look at his brother.

Gabe looked away guiltily. “I should have got you out sooner. When Dad was on his crusade to “cure” you. You were a wreck from all of the tests and so called treatments. I could see you suffering and I didn’t intervene until it was almost too late. Jesus, Cas. You were like a ghost for years afterwards. You freak out whenever you even see a hospital and you still take meds to cope with the PTSD. I should have gone to Dad sooner, I should have just grabbed you and taken you away from them. Instead I let you suffer for a year because I didn’t know how to stand up to Dad.” he said, bringing his hand up to his mouth as his eyes filled with tears.

Cas looked horrified. “Gabe, no. It wasn’t your fault. You did go to Dad. You stopped him eventually. You helped me. I wouldn’t be here without you. Please don’t blame yourself.” he begged.

Gabe shook his head. “Nah, bro. I was a coward. Let me own it. I should have just taken you away as soon as you were diagnosed. Instead, I let them break you down until you were a shell of the person you were before.” he said bitterly. He turned to face Cas, guilt painting his features. “You were such a sweet kid, and so funny. God, you used to make us laugh so hard. Do you remember? Then you were diagnosed and overnight you changed into this serious, pale imitation of the kid I watched grow up. At first I thought it was just the diagnosis, then I realised what Dad was doing and I was horrified. But I didn’t do anything because deep down, I hoped they  _ would _ cure you, so you’d be happy again. It took me far longer than it should have to realise that it was actually what Dad was doing that was making you fade away in front of my eyes. And then it was too late, you were already broken.” he confessed. He was shaking now, tears running down his face as Cas sat looking dumbfounded.

“ So, you see. I do owe you, Cas. I can never give back what was taken from you, and no amount of money is too much for the debt against me.” he said hoarsely.

Cas felt sick. His chest tightened as he felt the beginnings of a panic attack. He stumbled away from the table and into the house where he staggered into the bathroom and threw up everything he’d eaten that day. His vision greying out as he struggled to breathe. He couldn’t process the betrayal.

Gabe stood in the doorway, the smell of distress coming off him in waves.

“ Cas!” he called out in panic as Cas slumped sideways, unable to hold himself up any longer. “Cas! Fuck, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Gabe begged, running in and holding his brother up, preventing him from falling.

For Cas, Gabe’s voice sounded as if it was an alarm blaring in his ear and he pushed his brother away with a snarl as his anger flared. His canines descending as he yelled. “Get out!”

Gabe looked devastated. He backed off hurriedly and stood in the doorway. “I’ll go. I can see I’m just upsetting you more right now. So, I’ll leave and you can call me when you’re ready, okay?” he said, backing up even more as Cas growled. He almost ran from the house, shutting the front door with a bang.

Cas didn’t move until he heard the sound of Gabe’s car start and drive away. He sagged as though the energy was sapped from him suddenly. He didn’t know how to process any of it. The betrayal he felt was like the bottom of his world had fallen out.

Gabe had ignored his plight in the hope that he would be cured. On top of that, he thought Cas was broken. It was a blow he wasn’t sure he could recover from.

He felt the tears coming and let them pour down his cheeks as a sob burst out.

So deep was his misery, he didn’t notice the room growing dark as the sun set hours after Gabe had left. He just cried until he fell asleep on the bathroom floor.

  
  


*****************

  
  


Dean waved at Sam who was sitting at the table waiting in the visitors room. He tried to catch Cas’ eye, but the Alpha was lost in his own world. It worried Dean, he couldn’t scent Cas, of course. But anyone could see something was troubling him and Dean hadn’t been able to get him alone to talk for a few days.

He headed over to Sam who was frowning at Cas himself, he too had noticed something was wrong with him. The man looked miserable.

“ Hey, Sammy. No Eileen today?” Dean asked brightly as he took a seat.

Sam turned and shook his head. “Nah, she’s working. She’ll be here next time though.” he said, with a small smile.

Dean smiled. “So, anything I should know?” he asked casually.

Sam sighed. “Only that Dad is being a dick, as usual. He came to me and Eileen for money. He already spent what he got for you. He looks terrible for it. Honestly, I can’t understand how he functions at all with the amount he must have drunk.” he complained.

Dean sighed deeply. “Yeah, I figured he would come to you next. He caused a scene here when I wouldn’t let him try to leech off Michael through me. Screamed that I was a whore in front of everyone, which was nice.” he said sarcastically.

Sam grimaced. “What an asshole. I’m glad I told him to fuck off. Seriously, I gave up wanting to help him long ago. He’s beyond it now. Not that I would after what he did to you, but still.” he sneered.

Dean shook his head sadly. “Yeah, I know what you mean. Before this, I would have still tried to help him. He’s our Dad, y’know? But he fuckin’ sold me, man. Out of spite. His own child. So, fuck him.” he said bitterly.

Sam leaned in a little closer. “So what’s up with him?” he asked, quietly. His eyes darting towards Cas.

Dean shrugged and looked worried. “I don’t know. It’s not easy to talk in here without attracting attention and I think he might actually be avoiding me.” he admitted, feeling hurt by that fact. The smell of rejection on him was subtle but there.

Sam narrowed his eyes. “Well, he can’t avoid me. I’ll go see him tonight, find out what his deal is.” he whispered, looking pissed on his brothers behalf.

“ Go easy, Sam. He looks really upset. Something must have happened for him to be like this. It’s not like I can comfort him with everyone watching.” Dean said, sadly.

Sam nodded. “I haven’t spoken to him or Gabe in a couple of days. In fact, Gabe is being suspiciously quiet. Normally he’s blowing my phone up with texts or pictures of random shit he finds funny. Maybe they had a fight?” he said thoughtfully.

Dean considered it for a moment. “Maybe that’s it. I know I hate fighting with you. And they are just as close as we are. Hell, Gabe pretty much saved Cas’ life. Cas hero worships his brother. If they had a fight, it must be serious if Cas is as miserable as this.” he said, looking over at where Cas stood, his usual straight back stance was missing, instead he was hunched in on himself, looking exhausted.

Another officer walked over to Cas, a young female Beta, she looked concerned and placed her hand on Cas' shoulder as she spoke quietly. Cas shrugged her off gently, shaking his head and walked to the other side of the room.

Dean frowned as he watched the exchange. Jealousy curled in him as he saw the officer touch Cas, and triumph when Cas shrugged her off. But his worry for him overrode everything else. Something was definitely wrong.

“ Yeah, he needs help, Sam. He’s hurting bad. I don’t need to scent him to know.” Dean said worriedly.

Sam brushed his hair back off his face and sat back. “Okay. I’ll go see him tonight. Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle. He looks like he’d fall down in a strong breeze right now.” he promised. “I try to get him to talk to you at least. Ignoring you will make you both sick.”

Dean slumped in his chair. “It’s possible he doesn’t realise that, Sam. Remember, he’s new to this.” he reminded him.

Sam sighed. “Then I’ll make him realise. I doubt he would hurt you on purpose, so I’ll just tell him and he’ll probably talk to you tomorrow.” he reassured.

Dean hoped that whatever was bothering Cas, was something Sam could help him with.


	11. Band-aid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> I'm so glad that this story is complete and edited. I'm in the middle of a house renovation and it would be next to impossible to get any writing done otherwise. The first stage was done earlier this year, now the second stage is starting, now that restrictions have been partially lifted in my country. I was unexpectedly made a parent the same day the lockdown happened here in the UK. I now have a teenage boy to raise and then put through college. It's okay, he's a little gem and the best kid I know. I'm honoured that he came to me and chose me to guide him through this next stage of his life. I don't have my own kids, so I see it at a privilege. 
> 
> There is a little more Sam and Cas being bro's in this chapter. I wish there was a little more of it in the show. Sorry for the tiny cliffhanger, just know that the next chapter is on Wednesday and it will be resolved then.

**Chapter Eleven. Band-aid.**

  
  


Sam parked his car a block away from Cas’ house and cut through the overgrown patch of land behind Cas’ house. If Michael was still keeping tabs on him, he didn’t want him finding out about Cas and Dean because of a stupid mistake on his part.

As he rounded some trees, he could see the back yard and deck of Cas’ house, the lights were on on the deck, and the back door was open, but there was no sign of Cas.

Sam sneaked around the side of the house and let himself in the gate, which opened with a rattle and a squeak, and headed around to the deck.

As he stepped up onto the deck, Cas appeared in the doorway, holding a bottle of whiskey and two glasses.

“ Hey Sam. I was expecting you. Have a drink with me, won’t you?” Cas grated out, he sounded tired and his words slurred a little.

Sam realised Cas had already been drinking, and quite a lot by the smell.

“ Are you,  _ drunk? _ ” he asked, incredulous. Cas didn’t seem like the type.

Cas fixed him with a weary look. “Don’t ask stupid questions.” he growled, sitting down heavily on one of the wooden chairs.

Sam took a seat and accepted a glass that Cas poured a hefty measure of whiskey into.

“ Cas, what’s going on? You haven’t spoken to any of us for days, even Dean. Dean is starting to smell like rejection and pretty soon he’ll get sick.” Sam asked, looking concerned.

Cas looked horrified. “I- I didn’t know, Sam. I’m sorry.” he said, miserably.

“ Okay, you fix it with Dean tomorrow and he’ll be fine. But you are obviously not. Tell me what’s going on, maybe I can help.” Sam pleaded.

Cas shook his head. “You can’t, Sam. But thank you.” he muttered.

Sam took a sip of the whiskey and raised his eyebrows. “Hey, this is the good stuff.” he exclaimed in surprise.

Cas huffed a laugh. “Yep, nothing but the best from Gabriel. It was a gift for my birthday last year. Of course, it was only to alleviate the guilt. Just like everything else he’s done for me.” he said bitterly.

Sam looked over, narrowing his eyes. “So, you two did have a fight, huh?” he said, trying to move the bottle away from Cas surreptitiously.

Cas frowned and grabbed the bottle back from Sam, pouring another large measure into his glass.

“ A fight.” he stated baldly. “No, that would have been easier.” he sighed.

Sam looked confused. “Cas, what happened? It’s bad enough that you’re drinking and you look like shit. Let me help you.” he offered.

Cas turned to look Sam in the eye, although the effect was ruined by the fact he was swaying in his seat. “He betrayed me, Sam. He thinks I’m broken.” he choked out a half sob. “Maybe I am.”

Sam pushed down the panic threatening to take over, if Gabe had betrayed Dean to Michael, he’d kill him.

“ How? Is Dean in danger?” Sam asked carefully.

Cas looked up, confused. “What? No! I’d kill him for that.” he growled out.

Sam sighed with relief. “Okay, so what did he do? It has to be bad to have you like this.”

Cas sighed. “Okay. I’ll tell you, but you need to catch up to me first.” he said, holding up the whiskey.

Sam nodded in agreement. He doubted Cas would even notice exactly how much he drank at this point due to the state he was in.

Cas drunkenly explained the year in which he was the subject of every test and experimental treatment that every so-called doctor could conceive of. How his father grew increasingly desperate to cure him, encouraging more and more sociopathic scientists to use Cas as a guinea pig for their barbaric tests. He described how Gabriel had turned a blind eye to it, because if it worked, it couldn’t be that bad. Everything would be fixed if Cas would just present. How he eventually realised his mistake and rescued Cas, but that he considered it was too late and Cas was broken. How he saw helping Cas as penance for his crimes against him.

Sam listened in horror at Cas’ story. Feeling anger on behalf of his friend and fury at Gabe’s attitude.

“ You know you’re not broken though, Cas. Right? You’re not.” Sam assured Cas.

Cas shook his head. “No, I am. He pointed out the d-difference in me from befo-fore and now. It’s obvious.” he hiccupped.

Sam sat forward, looking Cas in the face. “Hey, an experience like that would change anyone. It doesn’t mean you’re broken. You survived and you’re stronger for it. Look at who you are as a person. You’re a good man. Does that sound broken to you?” he said kindly. His heart hurt for his friend.

Cas looked surprised. “You’re a good man, Sam.” he said, smiling softly. His eyes drooping as the whiskey took its toll.

“ Thanks, Cas. Let’s get some water in you and let you sleep this off. I’ll come back in the morning with breakfast and we can figure this out.” he offered, helping a wobbly Cas to stand up.

Sam managed to get Cas to drink half a pint of water before helping him stagger to his room, where Cas sprawled on his bed, out cold in seconds.

Sam took a moment to take off Cas’ shoes and arrange the unconscious Alpha so that if he threw up in the night, he wouldn’t choke on his vomit.

He used the bathroom and washed his hands, noticing the meds that Cas had in his bathroom cabinet. His heart beating rapidly as he counted them, making sure Cas hadn’t taken any. He breathed a sigh of relief as the dates and amounts tallied up. He considered taking them with him for a moment, before deciding against it. Cas would see it as another betrayal. A sign that he  _ was _ broken if Sam didn’t trust him with his own medication.

He closed and locked all of the windows and doors, and noticing a small black cat meowing pitifully out on the deck, he threw some dry cat food in a bowl and put it outside. The cat pounced on the food as if it was starving.

Checking everything once more, Sam turned out the lights and let himself out of the house, backtracking to the car in the dark. Poor Cas. He figured the guy needed a friend right now. And Sam could be that friend.

  
  


*****************

  
  


Cas woke up feeling like death. He squinted over at his alarm clock and groaned. The red numbers told him it was just past nine am. Luckily he was on the late shift tonight, so he had a few hours to pull himself together. He stretched his arms over his head and grimaced as he caught a whiff of his own body odour. He was in dire need of a shower. He unglued his tongue from the roof of his mouth and rolled over to the side of the bed. He sat up blearily, and yawned, scratching his stomach through the shirt he was still wearing from the night before and realised with a shock that he could smell that someone was in his house, and they were cooking bacon.

More alert now, he crept along the hallway towards the living area and peeped around the corner to see Sam standing at his stove, flipping bacon and sausages in a pan as he idly chewed on a piece of toast.

“ Morning! Breakfast is nearly done, I brought some green tea from the deli, but there’s coffee too if you prefer. I got you some painkillers and something for your stomach. Might wanna take those first. Give them a chance to work before attempting to eat.” Sam said cheerily.

Cas just blinked. “Sam, what are you doing in my house?” he asked, bewildered.

Sam just laughed. “I had to bring back your keys, I borrowed them to lock up last night when I left. I thought I might as well make breakfast for everyone too.” he said, hissing and shaking his hand as the bacon fat popped and spat, landing on his bare wrist.

“ Everyone?” Cas asked, even more confused.

Sam merely pointed over to the table just out of Cas’ sight. Cas stepped further into the room to see Eileen sitting at the table, pouring orange juice into glasses. She grinned and waved, signing  _ Good morning _ .

Cas signed back automatically, still stunned. “Um. I-” he started, giving up before he began. He walked over to the table, sitting opposite Eileen and looking embarrassed.

“ I apologise. I don’t normally drink. You are not seeing me at my best.” he said, patting his hair, just knowing it stood up on end.

Eileen shrugged. “No worries. You should see Sam’s hair in the mornings. It’s way worse even when he hasn’t had a drink.” She teased her mate.

Sam turned around with a mock scowl on his face. “Hey! You said it was cute!” he accused before chuckling.

Eileen just laughed. “Don’t worry, Cas. Take these and you’ll feel a little better.” she said, offering him two pills and a glass of orange juice.

Cas took them gratefully and swallowed them down with a large gulp of juice, but found he couldn’t stop drinking it once he’d started. He drained the glass, his eyes watering as he gasped.

Eileen gave him an approving look and took the glass to refill it.

“ Um, I’m fairly sure I had no food in my house. Did you buy all of this?” Cas asked, worried the young couple had spent too much.

Eileen put her hand on Cas’. “We brought it with us. Don’t worry, Sam got an advance from Gabe for his new job. It won’t break the bank. We can afford breakfast.” she assured him.

Cas tensed at the mention of Gabe, Sam noticed immediately. “Hey, don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.” he reassured.

Cas shook his head. “How, Sam?” he said tiredly. His stomach growled loudly and he looked down and blushed.

Eileen chuckled. “Well, first we eat. Then you shower and change while Sam and I go check out your beautiful garden.” she said, firmly. “Then we’ll all be in a better place to sort this out.”

Cas nodded. Eileen’s scent of wildflowers was soothing, and he couldn’t help but be charmed by her sunny personality. She and Sam suited each other perfectly.

“ Okay.” he agreed, just as Sam placed a plate of food in front of him.

“ Toast, eggs, bacon and sausage. I was gonna bring some wholewheat muffins, but Eileen said this was better.” Sam said, looking worried.

Cas looked at Eileen and grinned. “She was right. Thank you both.” he said gratefully as he reached for the hot sauce.

They ate in companionable silence, watching Meg chase a butterfly around the garden from the window.

Afterwards, Cas went for a shower as Eileen cleaned up the dishes and Sam cleaned the table and the counters, before they explored Cas’ beautiful garden.

Twenty minutes later Cas found them on the back deck, he had showered, shaved and changed into a t-shirt and worn jeans. He looked a lot better than he had in days. He showed them how to weed the various beds of flowers and the small vegetable patch, and they joked and teased each other light-heartedly as the day grew warmer.

They took a break for lunch and Cas surprised them with the best omelette Sam had ever eaten. They finished up the rest of the juice and Cas felt a little more like himself. He couldn’t remember what it was like to have friends who seemed to genuinely like him.

Then the doorbell rang.

Cas stopped halfway through clearing the table and frowned. He placed the dishes on the counter and wiped his hands on a towel before going to answer the door.

Gabe stood on the doorstep looking like he’d just been in a fight. His lip was bleeding and he had a black eye.

“ Hey, bro. We need to talk.”


	12. Getting the band back together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! *waves*
> 
> Omg, you guys!😊 Your comments are so sweet. They make all the hard work worthwhile. 
> 
> This chapter is where Cas takes back his power and sets boundaries. He and Dean end up closer than ever and the bonds between everyone are strengthened. 
> 
> As always, comments and kudos feed the beast. Thank you in advance.

**Chapter Twelve. Getting the band back together.**

  
  


“ What the fuck happened, Gabe?” Sam asked, pushing Gabriel into a chair in the kitchen and inspecting his injuries.

“ Luke didn’t like hearing a few home truths, that’s all.” Gabe shrugged then hissed and wrapped his arms around his ribs protectively.

Cas looked alarmed. “What truths? I swear if you’ve endangered Dean-”

“ No, dummy. I wouldn’t do that. I got a little drunk and decided to tell off my big brothers. Only, I couldn’t get near Michael, he wouldn’t even open the gates at the estate. But Luke was at the office. He didn’t appreciate being called out for the self-absorbed asshole he is. He and a few of his “friends” decided to help me out of the office via the emergency exit stairwell.” Gabe groaned as Sam felt across his ribs.

“ Nothings broken, probably badly bruised. Should probably ice the face though. Anything else hurt?” Sam asked, he was used to treating injuries growing up with his father.

Gabe shook his head. “My knees and elbows probably got a little shredded on the way down the stairs. Nothing major.” he assured.

Eileen passed him an icepack and he took it gratefully, placing it on the side of his face that was most affected.

“ Why would you do that?” Cas asked, confused.

Gabe shrugged. “I dunno. It seemed like a good idea at the time.” he grumbled.

“ Gabe!” Cas snapped, getting angry at the non-answer.

Gabe groaned and rolled his eyes. “I fucked up, okay? I’m sorry. When I went home and told Kali what had happened with you, she kicked my ass out of the house. Do you know how it feels to have your true-mate reject you? I hope you never find out.” he said miserably. “So, I got drunk. The more drunk I got, the more I wanted to get back at Dad for doing that to you, and at Mikey and Luke for allowing it.”He growled.

“ But Dad’s dead, so all I could do was piss on his grave, so I went and did that. There’s a groundskeeper at the cemetery who is probably still looking for me, by the way.” he said off-handedly as he adjusted the ice pack under his eye. “Then I tried to confront Mikey and Luke and you can see how that went.”

Sam snorted. “You got yourself beat up on purpose, didn’t you? You still think you need to do penance for what happened to Cas, right?” he guessed.

Gabe looked at Cas guiltily. “Not entirely.” he mumbled.

Cas pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and turned away, turning back with a furious look on his face.

“ I’m only going to say this once.” he growled into Gabe’s face. “I. Am. Not. Broken.”

Sam looked on proudly as he saw Cas finally accepting it himself.

“ I am changed, yes. Different, yes. But they never broke me, understand? If you want to help me, do it because I am your brother and you love me, not out of guilt due to some messed up preconception that I am broken.” he snarled.

Gabe looked dumbfounded. “Okay.” he said shakily. “Okay, I can do that. I’m sorry.”

Cas pulled his brother towards him and hugged him.

“ OwOwOww! My ribs!” Gabe gasped, and Cas let him go with a sheepish look on his face.

“ Sorry.” he cringed. “Do you want me to talk to Kali? See if I can talk her into letting you go home?” he offered.

Gabe shook his head. “Nah, she’ll calm down eventually.” he dismissed. “She’ll forgive me for sure, I’m more worried about you right now.” he admitted.

Cas rolled his eyes. “I forgive you. Just please, stop treating me like a victim. I’ve worked very hard in therapy to put the past behind me. To accept  _ myself.  _ For you to say that you still see me as broken, it almost undid everything I worked for.” he stated.

Gabe’s lip trembled and he looked around at Sam and Eileen who were both giving him stern looks. “I’ll work on it. I guess I still see you as my baby bro, it’s hard to let go and accept you’re grown. I got kinda used to lookin’ out for you, being your protector, y’know? But, I’ll try, Okay?” he said softly.

Cas nodded. “I can accept that.” He said, smiling.

Sam breathed a sigh of relief. “So, the plan is still on then?” he asked as Eileen elbowed him looking annoyed.

Cas looked amused. “Yes, Sam. Crisis over. We can focus on Dean again. Next time, warn me before you ask Gabe to come over.” he said pointedly and Sam blushed, embarrassed at being called out.

Gabe laughed then hissed as the cut on his lip opened up again. “Shit. Got anything for the pain? Luke really did a number on me. Beer balls made me forget he’s twice my size.” he whined.

Cas sighed and went to the bathroom to fetch the painkillers as well as the small first aid kit. He suspected he would have to have this conversation with Gabe again at some point in the future. But for now, they were back on track.

  
  


********************

Cas caught Dean’s eye in the cafeteria, trying to convey as much of an apology as possible. He saw the moment Dean realised what he was trying to say, the Omega’s eyes flicked away and down, and his shoulders unhunched, his back a little straighter than before.

He checked the pocket of his slacks for the letter explaining what had happened, he had started and scrapped it many times, the code that Dean had taught him was insufficient to explain everything that had happened and he was forced to write it in plain English. Dean would have to destroy the letter immediately after reading it. Cas had kept every one of Dean’s letters, they were in a sealed plastic bag in a box under the floorboards in his bedroom.

As the cafeteria cleared, the Omegas heading off to their various electives, he watched as Dean detached himself from the group and headed in his direction. Cas felt his heart beating in his chest as the Omega approached, an angry look in his eye. He schooled his own expression to be as professional as possible.

“ Hello, Dean. How can I help you?” He asked, as the Omega stepped up to him.

“ Is there any way I can make a phone call? I need to speak to my brother.” Dean asked, his expression pinched.

It was the code they used when they needed to talk. There were no payphones here, but Omegas could use the office phone at the discretion of the officer in charge. The calls were recorded of course, as well as every move they made on the various cameras.

Cas nodded. “Yes, of course. I’ll take you to my office.” he said calmly, reaching for his radio.

“ Show me escorting a prisoner to the office, Dean Winchester LAZ401.” he said into the mic.

There was a reply to the affirmative and Cas indicated for Dean to walk in front of him.

The cafeteria had now emptied out and Dean spoke over his shoulder as they walked towards the office.

“ So, I take it you’re ready to stop ignoring me.” he sniped, sounding pissed.

Cas figured he deserved Dean’s anger. “I wasn’t ignoring you on purpose. Something happened between Gabe and I, and I was upset. I didn’t realise what I was doing until Sam pointed it out. I apologise. I was trying to work through it and neglected you in the meantime. It won’t happen again.” he explained.

Dean growled. “No it won’t. You’re my mate, we work through shit together. I saw how upset you were and I couldn’t do anything while you weren’t speaking to me. Do you understand how scared I was?” he hissed, although his anger had died down a little. “Are you alright now, at least?” he muttered, staring straight ahead and avoiding Cas’ eyes.

Cas gave a small smile. “Yes, Sam helped us figure it out.” he caught Dean’s eye. “Do I detect a small hint of forgiveness?” he weedled, looking contrite, his eyes wide and his mouth turned down at the edges slightly.

Dean was surprised into a laugh. “Dammit, did Sam teach you that look?” he chuckled. “I never could stay mad at him when he pulled that face.”

Cas pressed his lips together to stifle a laugh. “He did not, but that’s good for me to know.” he said dryly. “I may need to use it in the future.”

Dean turned and narrowed his eyes at the Alpha. “Don’t you dare.” he warned, but chuckled and shook his head.

“ I have a letter explaining everything, if you’ll read it? You’ll need to destroy it after. I didn’t use the code, it was too complicated.” Cas said quietly, signalling to the camera above the door they were approaching.

Dean gave Cas a worried look. “Are you sure everything is okay?” he asked, as the door unlocked with a clang.

Cas gave him a soft look. “Yes, it is. I promise.” he assured as the door locked behind them with another clang.

They arrived at the office, the windows of toughened glass allowed for no privacy from the prison officers stationed at the CCTV desk outside. But their voices wouldn’t carry outside the room at least.

Cas said hi to the three officers and unlocked his office, ushering Dean inside. Dean took a seat in the chair opposite Cas’ desk and waited as Cas unlocked the file cabinet with Dean’s file.

“ What did Gabe do?” Dean asked quietly as Cas made a show of dialling the number for Sam on the phone and handing it over.

“ It’s in the letter.” Cas murmured. “Don’t worry. He did something a long time ago, but felt the need to confess now for some reason.” he said with a deep sigh. “Everything will proceed as planned otherwise.”

Dean nodded and lifted the receiver to his ear and listened to the ringing on the other end. Sam knew to let it go to voicemail. If it was urgent he would call back. Dean left a brief message asking him to check on the neighbour for him. It was code for getting an update on Bobby. They had heard nothing from the old man for a few weeks and Dean was getting worried. He hung up immediately.

“ What elective do you have today?” Cas asked, picking up Dean’s file and logging the call and number.

“ Baking. I’m supposed to learn how to make Michael’s favourite foods, but I don’t know them, so I’m just gonna make a caramel apple pie ‘cause that’s  _ my _ favourite.” Dean shrugged.

Cas grinned. “Mine too.” he murmured, looking surprised.

“ Really? I’ll try to sneak you a slice if you want? It’s supposed to be for my Alpha anyway, and that’s you.” Dean asked shyly.

Cas’ chest puffed out as he preened. “I would love to taste your pie, Dean.” he said huskily, before looking mildly horrified as Dean burst out laughing.

“ I didn’t mean for that to sound so...” Cas chuckled, blushing a little.

Dean sniggered. “I can tell. Don’t worry Cas. You’ll get to taste my pie alright.” he said, waggling his eyebrows.

Cas rolled his eyes, suppressing the growl forming in his chest at Dean’s flirty tone. “God, I love you, so much.” he breathed out, giving Dean a soft look.

Dean gasped. “Oh, wow. You just- I mean- Fuck, I love you too.” he said, looking stunned but pink with pleasure.

Cas chuckled. “I’m sorry, I guess I took you by surprise with that. But I wanted you to know.” he said nervously.

Dean shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I just never expected you to just come out with it just like that. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You are a sap, after all.” he joked, although his eyes were soft.

“ When it comes to you, yes.” Cas admitted. “But you have a way of making me do things I wouldn’t normally do. Like, making it up as we go.” he said shyly.

Dean smiled. “If those assholes weren’t just outside, I’d pin you to your desk and kiss you.” he whispered.

Cas smiled. “If we were alone, I’d let you. Now, come on, I’ll escort you to your class. Or you won’t have time to make a pie.” Cas said, still blushing a little as he locked Dean’s file back in the cabinet.

“ Am I gonna be upset about what’s in this letter? Am I gonna want to hurt Gabe?” Dean asked quietly as Cas fiddled with his keys.

Cas grimaced. “You might. But you should know he has apologised and I’ve forgiven him. He made a mistake but he’s trying to make up for it.” he said quietly as he headed for the door, smiling at the officers outside though the glass.

As he opened the door, the officer nearest grinned and indicated to Dean. “This one needed to call home again, huh? Must be homesick I guess, poor baby.” he mocked as he slouched in his chair, his legs wide apart in an arrogant stance.

Cas’ jaw clenched as he fought the urge to tear the man’s throat out. Dean blushed and scowled.

The officer continued with a sneer on his face.“So what did you call home for this time? Last time it was to make sure the bills were paid. The time before that you-”

“ Get back to work!” Cas barked angrily. “If you spent more time doing your job, Cole, instead of antagonising the inmates, you’d have been promoted to supervisor of your own wing by now instead of still being a pain in my ass! Now sit up and pay attention to the cameras, or are you too stupid and lazy for that as well?” The officer scowled at Cas. But his false bravado was not having the slightest effect on Cas whatsoever..

Cas leaned in close to the Beta. “Go on, give me a reason to fire you, Cole. I dare you.” he warned.

The officer jumped out of his skin, looking terrified. “Yes, sir.” he said hurriedly, straightening up in his seat as the other two officers covered their smirks behind their hands. They were clearly only too aware of their colleague’s slacking and shitty attitude and took pleasure at their supervisor tearing strips off him.

“ I’ll be escorting the inmate to his elective. When I get back, I’ll be issuing you with a write up. This is your second, right? You’d better fix your attitude or you’ll be leaving here with no reference. Good luck getting another job without one.” Cas said coldly.

The officer paled and nodded.

Cas turned to Dean and indicated for him to move ahead towards his class.

They passed through the door to the electives wing before Dean let out a laugh.

“ Fucking hell, Cas. I think he might have actually shit his pants.” he chuckled.

“ Cole was being a dick. He’s always been a dick. I’m the only one who can put up with him, so he ends up on my rotation. He has the wrong attitude for this job.” Cas muttered, still pissed.

“ I thought you were gonna go full-on Alpha for a moment.” Dean said, clearly worried.

Cas sighed. “No, don’t worry. I was in control.” he reassured. “It’s nothing that hasn’t happened before. Like I said, Cole has always been a dick.”

Dean looked relieved. “Is that why I’ve never seen him on the block?” he asked.

Cas nodded and opened the next set of doors with his pass. “Yes. Can you imagine? Even off the violent offenders wing, he’d get himself murdered by saying the wrong thing to the wrong person.” he said in a long suffering tone.

“ How come no-one’s fired him?” Dean asked.

Cas sighed again. “We’re short staffed as it is. The budget was slashed considerably by the current government. This prison was supposed to be the model for other prisons going forward. Focused on “rehabilitation not incarceration”. But it wasn’t popular with the more hard-line Alphas in government, so they slashed our budget to ensure that we fail.” he shrugged. “That’s the theory anyway.”

Dean sighed. “So, other prisons are worse than this one?” he asked.

Cas gave him a look. “You have no idea. I did my training at the state prison. The Omegas there are worse than Alphas sometimes. I was nearly stabbed on my first day.” he chuckled as Dean’s eyebrows went up.

“ Holy shit. I thought this place was bad. Guess I got lucky, right?” Dean said, standing to one side as Cas opened up another door.

Cas shrugged. “You wouldn’t have gone to the state prison anyway, not for what you were convicted of. That’s for the worst type of criminal, murderers and habitual offenders. But yeah, this place is one of the nicer places. If you can say that about a prison.” he quipped.

They approached a corridor where the smell of baking bread permeated the air.

“ Here, it’s a blind spot on the cameras. Take the letter. Read it after lights out tonight. Then destroy it.” Cas warned as he slipped the envelope into Dean’s pocket without breaking stride.

Dean patted his pocket and approached the classroom where he would be working all afternoon. “Okay, will I see you later?” he asked, quietly.

Cas nodded. “Yes, I’m on until late today. But I probably won’t be on the block. I have to fill out a report for Cole and then do next month's schedule. I'll see you tomorrow.” he whispered as he knocked on the door of the classroom.

Dean nodded and waited as the bakery tutor came to the door.

Cas explained to tutor the reason for Dean’s lateness and bid then both goodbye, turning away with a final look at Dean.

He couldn’t wait until they could spend time together without arousing suspicion. Getting Dean out was all he could focus on now.


	13. Sins of the Father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> I really think you'll like this one. I loved writing it and it was at the stage where I was writing 10,000 words a day on this fic, the words just flowed onto the page. (I held that streak for six days! A personal record.) 
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments, I'm happy to answer any questions (no spoilers) and I usually reply the same day.

**Chapter Thirteen. Sins of the father.**

  
  


“ Okay, I can’t remember what the fuck this stuff is called.” said Gabe, opening up a briefcase and taking out a smaller clear case with several syringes and a vial of fluid in it. He squinted at the label on the vial. “Yeah, I can’t pronounce it anyway.” he dismissed.

“ Does it need to be kept in the refrigerator?” Sam asked, concerned.

Gabe opened a file and scanned it. “Nope. It’s fine. It’s stable at room temperature apparently. That’s good. Makes things easier.”

“ Do I want to know how you got this?” Cas asked, looking at the vial suspiciously.

Gabe gave him a pointed look. “No, probably not. Let's just say “perks of being the boss” and leave it at that, yeah?” he said, placing the smaller case on the table.

Sam still looked worried. “It won’t hurt him will it?” he asked.

Gabe shook his head. “Not permanently. I’m not gonna lie, he’ll be pretty sick for a couple of days. But we have to make it look convincing. Everyone has to buy it for it to work. This has to fool actual doctors.” he said regretfully.

Cas felt sick. “Shit, I’m not sure I can do this.” he admitted. “My instincts are screaming at me to smash that vial.” His hands were shaking.

Gabe and Sam looked at him sympathetically. They knew it went against every instinct to deliberately harm their Omega. Something Cas would have to do in order to save him.

Sam moved to sit beside him. “I know. But this is to help him, Cas.” he reminded softly. “No-one else can do this. You are the only one who can get that into the prison without being caught.”

Cas nodded. “I know. Logically, I know I have to do this. But this will hurt him, Sam.” he said, his breath catching.

Eileen stepped over and knelt down next to Cas.  _ He needs you to do this. He’ll be sick for only two days and then he’ll be free forever.  _ she signed.

Cas sighed. “Okay.” he said, still feeling sick to his stomach.

Gabe breathed out. “Okay. Now, you get this inside the prison and then inject Dean. I’ve got a couple of spare syringes and an orange you can practice with. Then you have to get rid of the evidence. The drug will start working within a few hours.”

Cas nodded. “I can throw the syringe and vial in the industrial furnace. There will be nothing left but ash.” he said.

Gabe flipped through the file. “Good. That’s good. Now, Dean will start to feel sick a couple of hours after he is injected. This drug will mimic the symptoms of a fever due to infection. Being a male Omega, they are prone to reproductive tract infections so they’ll probably test for that immediately. They’ll assume it’s from the contraband improvised Omega aid he got in there, like he didn’t clean it properly or something.” he asserted, still scanning the file.

“ That’s when the sample will be sent to the lab, right?” Sam asked.

Gabe looked over and nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I have someone ready to intercept and create a false positive report to send to the prison.”

Eileen spoke up. “How can we be sure they’ll test his fertility? Maybe they won’t care. They could just give him antibiotics and send him away.” she said, worried.

Cas shook his head. “No, they’ll test him. Dean is a single cell inmate. He has a rich Alpha who gave a large donation, so Dean will receive the best care on his Alpha’s behalf. They’ll test Dean and Michael will know the results before Dean does.” he said, guiltily. It had always sat wrong with him that Omegas didn’t even have the right to make their own medical decisions or autonomy over their own bodies.

Sam grunted in disgust. “It’s horrible. But I guess it works in our favour just this once.”

Gabe pointed over at Sam. “That’s one of the first laws you can get changed, kiddo. I’ll even sponsor you, and by sponsor, I mean heavily bribe some politicians so it goes through.”

Sam nodded. “Thanks, I think I’ll accept your generous offer.” he said, making everyone chuckle, although Cas looked shocked.

Gabe rolled his eyes. “Bribery and corruption a little much for you? Us Alphas have stacked the deck so heavily against the other genders that it’s impossible to change anything without either buying them off or breaking heads.” he said, with a glint in his eye.

Cas shook his head. “No, you misunderstand. I’m not opposed. At all. It just feels real, like you could actually do it. It’s wonderful.” he smiled.

Sam slapped Cas on the shoulder good naturedly. “Once Dean is safe, and your brothers are ruined, maybe you guys can come back here and we’ll work together to topple this regime.” he offered.

Cas shrugged. “I’ll see what Dean wants. If he wants to come back here, of course that’s what we’ll do.” he agreed.

Gabe grinned. “Spoken like a completely whipped Alpha.” he chuckled, miming a cracking whip.

Cas gave Gabe an incredulous look. “And you’re not?”

Gabe shrugged. “Not even gonna try and deny it, she owns me, body and soul.” making everyone chuckle.

“ How will we know if and when Michael cuts ties with Dean?” Eileen asked sensibly.

Gabe pointed at her. “Very good point. My guess is he’ll contact John.”

Everyone groaned.

“ My dad is gonna be a dick about it.” Sam warned.

Gabe grimaced. “Yeah, I took the liberty of hiring a PI to get as much information on all of the players in this game. I read his file and needed a shower after. He’s a real peach, you know that, Sam?” he said, his distaste showing on his face.

Sam nodded solemnly. “Yeah, I do.”

Gabe grimaced. “I suppose you know better than us then. But did you ever find out how he even knew Mikey?”

Sam sat forward. “No, I couldn’t find any links. It pissed me off because it’s a large piece of the puzzle.”

Gabe reached into the briefcase and pulled out a thick file. He flipped it open and handed it over for Sam to read.

Sam took it eagerly, scanning the pages. The scent of angry Alpha suddenly filled the air.

“ I’m gonna kill him.” he muttered, standing up.

Gabe took the file and closed it. “Maybe you should, something has to be done about him or this plan goes belly up.” he said, grimacing in disgust.

Cas looked confused. “What? What did you find?” he asked.

Sam paced the room, trying to get his temper under control. Eileen ran to his side and pushed his face into her neck, using her scent to calm her Alpha. It was an intimate moment and Cas and Gabe looked away to give them some privacy.

“ John Winchester is a tracker, who operates under the pseudonym Archangel. He hunts runaway Omegas and returns them to their Alphas. He doesn’t always return them in one piece. He’s tortured and killed more than one Omega for the “crime” of desertion. It’s all perfectly legal and above board, except where it isn’t and then he buries the evidence and lays low for a while. His reputation ensures only the cruellest Alphas employ him and his methods. Some of whom are part of Michael’s circle. That’s the connection. Michael’s friends introduced them, and John would have just had to show Mikey a picture of Dean. He’s just Mike’s type. Green eyes, pouty lips, and pretty.” Gabe said quietly, glancing over at Sam with sympathy on his face.

Cas’ mouth dropped open. “That’s how Michael knew that Dean would run, and how he would do it. John told him and probably helped track him.”

Gabe nodded. “Yeah. It looks that way,” he said sadly.

Sam stood up. “I knew he warned Michael that Dean would run. I never knew any of this.” he said, looking sick. “Jesus, he tortured them! Killed them! He’s a fucking monster.”

Cas covered his face with his hands. “Dean must be told.” he said, sounding heartbroken for his Omega.

Sam inhaled. “No, Cas. Not yet. He has enough to deal with. Tell him once he gets out and is safe.” he begged.

Cas looked up at Sam with pity. “Dean is stronger than you think.” he reminded him.

Sam looked abashed. “I know he is.” he said.

Cas looked at Sam for a moment. “He deserves to know.”

Sam nodded reluctantly. “Okay, but still we need to deal with.. John. What do we do?”

Gabe looked at Cas and then at Sam. “Well, like you said, you could kill him.” he suggested.

Sam blanched. “Jesus. I wasn’t-” he sighed. “Look, saying I’m gonna kill him is one thing, but premeditated murder of my own father? I don’t know.” he said shakily.

Cas shot Gabe a dirty look. “No, Sam. We can’t ask you to kill your own father, no matter what he has done.” he assured the young Alpha.

Sam looked relieved.

Gabe narrowed his eyes. “How do you feel about someone else doing the deed?” he asked.

Sam gasped and Cas growled in annoyance.

Gabe held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, so no murder. Just wanting to see where we drew the line here, that’s all.” he capitulated.

Sam took a deep breath. “But we do need to do something. There is no way he’ll cooperate with us in getting Dean back. Unless...” he trailed off looking thoughtful.

Cas and Gabe looked at each other then back at Sam. “What are you thinking?” Cas asked.

Sam licked his lips and brushed his hair off his face as he sat back down. “Unless he’s in jail. If he’s convicted of a crime and serves a sentence, his assets go to the next living Alpha to maintain in his absence. Me. It's part of the familial Alpha law. I wouldn’t even have to apply or prove my case in court, it would be automatic. Michael would have to negotiate with me instead of Dad. John needs to be caught in the act though. That dossier there would warrant an investigation, but it’s not fast enough to get him off the streets right now. That could take months. We’re gonna have to set him up.”

Gabe looked impressed. “Wow, nice thinking there, kiddo. I knew I did the right thing hiring you, you’re worth every penny. Just- you’re sure you’re comfortable with framing him for a crime he didn’t commit?” he asked pointedly.

Sam shrugged. “He got away with crimes he  _ did _ commit. So, yeah. I have no problem with it.” he said looking determined.

Cas looked thoughtful. “There needs to be irrefutable evidence.”

Gabe nodded. “Agreed, what crime should John commit? It has to be enough that they won’t give him bail or at least set one he can’t afford. Probably violence of some kind.” he mused aloud. “I don’t think I can scrounge up a dead prostitute to plant in his bed at short notice.”

Sam suddenly gasped. “Wait, I’ve got a plan.”

  
  


*************

  
  


The dark parking lot glittered from the neon lights from the nearby all night grocery store. The rain dampening any sound the two Alphas made as they broke into the sleek black car parked near the dumpster behind the dive bar. The taller man, sliding a metal strip out from his sleeve, pushing down into the gap between the driver's side window and the door frame.

The lock popped and the taller Alpha pulled open the door and slid into the driver's seat, leaning over to open the passenger side door, allowing the shorter Alpha to get in, closing the door quickly with a squeak and a quiet clunk.

The taller Alpha produced a screwdriver and jammed it and wiggled it into the ignition. These old cars were easy to take. The Alpha had witnessed someone start this particular car with a fork before. The ignition still bore the scratches from that incident.

Starting the car, the taller Alpha reversed out of the space and drove out of the parking lot at high speed, heading for the local mall.

The shorter Alpha ducked down, so as not to be visible to passing traffic as the taller Alpha patted the false beard stuck to his face.

The car swerved erratically, jumping the kerb and hitting a garbage can and sending it flying. Then weaved dangerously close to oncoming traffic. Then made a beeline for the shutters of the main thoroughfare of the mall, smashing through them and into the mall itself.

With his foot to the floor, the taller Alpha kept driving, smashing stalls and displays as he headed for the opposite side of the mall. The windscreen cracked and the passenger side window shattered as the car hit benches, garbage cans and plants.

The car lurched as the front driver’s side tyre suddenly shredded and the taller Alpha wrestled with the wheel, trying to control the car.

The car burst through the second set of shutters and back out onto the road, dragging part of the shutter with it as the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance. The car was a wreck and barely drivable, the passenger cried out as a particularly sharp swerve had him hitting his head on the dash.

The shutter finally fell off and the car limped to the side of the road, underneath a broken street light and halfway onto the sidewalk, the engine finally dying. Both Alphas climbed out of the car on the driver’s side and ran towards a small grey hatchback across the street.

They were greeted by a small Omega who was wearing dirty clothes and sported a few bruises and cuts on her face.

“ Hurry up, you need to get him in the car!” She hissed and pointed to the passenger seat where an unconscious John Winchester was slumped. He had a cut on his head and his knuckles were bloody.

The two Alphas dragged John from the hatchback and placed him in the driver's seat. The taller Alpha searching John’s clothes and pulling out the keys to the car. Quickly, he yanked the screwdriver out of the ignition and jammed the keys in. Before stepping back to help the Omega who was quickly tearing her clothes and messing up her hair.

The smaller Alpha took a second to buckle John in before rearing back and punching him hard in the face, breaking his nose.

The Omega hissed from the rear of the car where Sam was quickly taping her hands together.

“ So, thirty thousand, yeah?” The Omega asked.

The taller Alpha nodded. “It’ll be in the account in your Alpha’s name by morning.” he mumbled, reaching down to tape her ankles together.

“ Awesome. I got no problem acting the poor terrified Omega if it means John Winchester is off the streets. Bastard hunted my best friend and her Alpha killed her.” The Omega said, anger in her voice.

The taller Alpha nodded. Then gestured to the shorter Alpha to help him.

Together the two Alphas lifted her into the trunk of the car and shut her in. She immediately began screaming incoherently, sounding terrified.

Just as the lights of the police cars became visible, the taller Alpha threw a bundle into the car, before dropping a gun into the foot well by John's feet. Together the two Alphas ran back to the grey hatchback and drove off as the first police car pulled up behind the Impala.

A few miles away, Sam pulled the car over and looked over at the passenger. “What the fuck, Cas? What did you punch him in the face for?” he asked, not angry but bemused.

Cas shrugged. “He deserved it.” he said simply.

Sam nodded. “Yeah, he did.” he agreed, clenching his jaw.

“ Ruby said he put up a fight outside the bar. She gave him enough roofie to get him outside, but then he got aggressive and she had to put him down herself, that’s how she got the cuts and scrapes and he got the cut to the head. Apparently he drank enough so he probably won’t remember much of anything about tonight anyway.” he added.

“ What was in the package?” Cas asked, curious.

“ Fake IDs. I figured it was poetic justice for what he did to Dean.” Sam said, grinning.

“ I still prefer my method.” Cas growled and Sam laughed.

“ Was that the first time you’ve ever hit someone?” Sam asked.

Cas gave him an odd look. “No? I had three big brothers growing up. It was a free-for-all during the holidays. I had to learn to fight or run very fast. I’m not built for speed, so fighting it was. I still had Alpha strength, which always surprised people.” he said with a shrug. “Don’t forget what I do for work, Sam. I’m not a babysitter, I’m a prison officer.”

“ Fair enough.” Sam chuckled. “So, now you’ve committed a crime, a fairly major one at that, how do you feel?”

Cas looked thoughtful. “Like I didn’t punch him hard enough.” he said.

Sam burst out laughing as he restarted the car and headed towards the suburbs.

  
  


****************

  
  


“ Noooo! Not my Baby!” Dean wailed, looking horrified as Cas tried to calm him down.

“ Shhhh! Look, Sam will get her once they release her from impound and I’ll pay to have her fixed up like new.” Cas promised, trying to sooth Dean.

They were in the laundry room behind the machines, the other Omegas were at the other end of the laundry, sorting the dirty sheets and towels into bins.

“ No you won’t. I’ll fix her myself once I get out. Don’t let anyone else touch her!” Dean demanded, looking heartbroken.

Cas nodded. “Okay, sweetheart. Okay. That’s what we’ll do. Sam will keep her safe and sound ‘til then, okay?” he said, unable to handle the scent of distress coming from Dean.

“ She’s not safe and sound, you monsters! My poor Baby!” Dean cried as Cas tried desperately to quiet him down.

“ Dean, calm down! Do you want to be discovered?” Cas snapped, a little Alpha voice bleeding into his tone.

Dean’s eyes widened and he clammed up, before staring at Cas resentfully.

Cas looked just as shocked. “I- I didn’t mean to do that. I’m sorry. I panicked and it just came out.” he apologised.

“ You used your Alpha voice on me.” said Dean, angrily.

“ I know, and I’m sorry, but you need to calm down. The scent of your distress is too much and you were almost shouting.” Cas said, calmer now.

Dean took a few deep breaths. “Don’t ever do that again.” he warned.

Cas shook his head. “I won’t. But you need to get your scent under control. It’s sending my instincts crazy.” he said desperately.

Dean saw how much Cas was trembling and felt guilty. The poor man was sweating heavily and almost panting as he gripped Dean's arms.

“ Shit, sorry Cas. I’ll try and calm down.” he said looking ashamed.

“ Thank you.” Cas breathed out, stepping back and taking a handkerchief from his pocket and holding it over his nose.

Dean caught a waft of Cas’ Alpha scent and cringed. “Better top up your blockers, Babe. Your scent is starting to bleed through.” he warned and Cas took the small spray from his pocket and sprayed himself liberally, still holding the handkerchief to his face.

“ So, what’s gonna happen to John?” Dean asked, trying to distract Cas as he moved away to try to dissipate some of his scent.

“ Well, they found the traumatised Omega in the trunk, she told them John had kidnapped her, thinking to go to her Alpha and offer to track his “runaway” Omega. He has been seen around asking people for money recently, so it’s believable that he’d create a “job” in order to extort someone. It also has the benefit of casting doubt on all of his other work. She also told the police John intended to kill her and tell her Alpha she resisted. It would have been the perfect crime had he not decided to drive drunk. There was an unregistered gun in the car with the serial number filed off, fake IDs and drugs. The Omega had some in her system too, she said she grew suspicious of John so stopped drinking the wine that he bought her, so she was more aware than he realised.”

“ Jesus. He’s fucked. He’ll never see the light of day again.” Dean said, wide eyed in shock. “You guys really made sure alright.” he said, looking at Cas admiringly.

Cas shrugged. “I also broke his nose.” he said proudly.

Dean was surprised into a laugh. “And you didn’t think that was overkill?” he chuckled. “Fucking hell, Cas.” he shook his head as he laughed.

Cas shrugged. “It would have looked suspicious if he wasn’t injured.” he said defensively.

Dean side-eyed him suspiciously. “Uh huh.” he said, not believing it.

Cas rolled his eyes. “Alright, I’ll admit I just wanted to punch him in the face, okay? He hurt you and I wanted a little payback on your behalf.” he admitted.

“ There it is.” Dean said dryly. “Did it make you feel any better?” he asked, bemused.

Cas shook his head. “No. I wish I’d broken his arms as well.” he said bitterly.

Dean’s eyes widened. “Fucking hell. I pity those who get on your bad side, Babe. You’re a fucking badass.” he joked, the distressed scent had faded to be replaced with arousal.

Cas blushed and pushed his hands into his pockets. “I’d do anything for you.” he mumbled.

Dean grinned. “And you did, sappy Alpha.” he chuckled. “Now, how did it feel to drive through a mall? I bet it was so cool!” he exclaimed.

Cas grimaced. “Not as cool as you’d think. I was stuck in the foot well, covered in broken glass and holding on for dear life for most of it. I couldn’t smell Sam because of the blockers we were both wearing, but he looked like he enjoyed himself immensely. We were both so keyed up afterwards we ended up wrestling on my kitchen floor.” he admitted, his face bright red.

Dean laughed. “How did that go?”

Cas cringed. “Um. I might have dislocated Sam’s shoulder on accident?” he said, looking sheepish. “It popped right back in, I swear. He got me good too, I don’t think my elbow will ever be the same.” he said defensively, as he flexed his arm to demonstrate.

Dean closed his eyes and shook his head. “Alpha bullshit.” he sighed. “You’re grown men, what did you think would happen?” he scolded.

Cas shrugged. “It was Sam’s idea. We were just trying to blow off some steam and it got out of hand.” he said, looking ashamed.

“ Then go for a run or something! And don’t worry, Sam’s gonna get an earful from me as well. I bet Eileen was pissed.” he guessed and Cas nodded.

“ She’s tiny, but she packs a punch. She actually bruised my arm.” said Cas, pointing to his bicep.

Dean sniggered as he imagined the tiny Omega hitting both Alphas and yelling at them as they looked repentant.

Dean stood up and walked over to Cas and kissed him softly on the mouth. “I can’t stay mad at you.” he whispered.

Cas grinned. “I’m banking on it for the future.” he chuckled, kissing Dean a little more firmly.

Dean broke the kiss and stepped back. “Of course, you know what this means, right?”

Cas sagged and looked down. “Yeah, I know. Time to put the plan into action.” he said sadly. “I prefer it when we make it up as we go.”

Dean lifted his chin to look him in the eye. “Hey, I know, alright? But we need to do this. I’ve only got a few months left in here and we can be together. In a couple of months, you’ll officially present and then you can go on ahead to Canada and get our house ready. Our  _ home, _ Cas. Then when I get out, Sammy will bring me to you and we can finally be together. We can get started on those kids as soon as you want.” he reminded softly, running his hands over the Alphas broad chest.

Cas smiled. “Hmmm. I can’t wait to see you pregnant. You’re going to be even more beautiful.” he mused, his hands brushing Dean’s flat stomach.

Dean grinned. “I’m gonna be fat, bloated and moody. Probably gassy too. Might wanna keep that hanky soaked in blockers.” he joked.

Cas laughed, wrapping his arms around his Omega’s waist. “Nah, you’ll still be beautiful.” he teased. “I’m so lucky.”

Dean smiled softly. “Sappy Alpha. I’m the lucky one.”

Cas kissed him again, this time there was a sweetness to it that made Dean’s toes curl.

As they broke apart, Dean cupped the Alphas cheek. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. Michael’s spies will confirm everything and he’ll be so disgusted to be associated with an unclean, infertile Omega, he’ll probably throw me back at Sam.” he laughed.

Cas grimaced. “Okay. I’ll bring it in with me on Monday. We can do it here in the laundry. Then I can go across to the incinerator and dispose of the evidence.” he suggested.

Dean nodded. “Perfect. By this time next week, I could be free, from Michael at least.” he said, his eyes lighting up.

Cas couldn’t help but smile too, his gummy grin was so wide it made his eyes crinkle at the sides.

Dean checked over his shoulder and then looked back at Cas. “I’m proud of you.” he said happily.

Cas shook his head. “Me? You’re the one who has the worst part to do. I’m proud of  _ you _ .” he insisted.

“ Eh, it’s fine. I’ve gone through worse for far less. It’s more than worth it.” Dean said, smiling wide.

“ I’ll spend every day of the rest of my life proving it.” Cas promised.


	14. The cure is worse than the disease.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> I nearly forgot to post this chapter, I totally forgot what day it was. Luckily someone reminded me in time. 
> 
> I'm loving that so many people were worried about the plan not going... well, to plan. 😂 You'll see in this chapter how that turns out. Seriously, thanks for being so invested. Your comments inspired me to write another fic. I'm 10,000 words in already. Also, if you're hankering for a canon verse curtain fic, check out my other completed fic, Every little thing. It's set anytime after Michael!Dean and it's how I would like the show to end.

**Chapter Fourteen. The cure is worse than the disease.**

  
  
  


Saturday night, Cas went to Gabe and Kali’s for dinner. Kali was excited to meet Cas’ mate and asked him dozens of questions as she pushed him to eat more than humanly possible. They made plans for Cas’ new project manager job and Cas and Gabe went over the plans for the huge resort as Kali pointed out details that she had added. Gabe was extremely affectionate with his mate and spent half of the evening openly adoring her. Cas had left them curled up on a huge recliner in the garden, looking up at the stars.

On Sunday, Sam and Eileen had visited, bringing board games and a pack of cards with them. They had ordered in and played games until almost midnight. Cas surprised Sam with his utter ruthlessness at cards. Sam, his arm still in a sling after the accidental dislocation, had thrown down his cards in disgust as Cas cleaned him out for the third time in a row, and declared he would never play against Cas again. But agreed to be on Cas’ team if they ever played Dean, who Sam assured him was even worse.

Cas felt an easy affection for his new family, he could see he and Sam being good friends and Eileen’s humour was almost as dry as Cas’. She was smart as a whip and more than a match for Sam who was one of the brightest people Cas had ever met, with a streak of ruthlessness of his own that led to both men understanding each other on a deeper level.

Monday morning, Cas was up before his alarm, he had, surprisingly, slept quite well even though he had been convinced he would likely toss and turn all night. He was full of restless energy and decided to go for a run.

He changed into shorts and t-shirt, and with his airpods in and listening to his favourite running playlist, he ran a couple of miles before heading back to the house for a shower and some breakfast.

He decided to masturbate in the shower, he had been trying out various techniques and working on his stamina. He wanted to be able to please Dean when they finally mated. He had even been using a special fleshlight in order to get used to the feeling of knotting something other than his hand. Dean had enjoyed what they had done previously and Castiel wanted to be able to maintain his streak.

After an extremely satisfying shower in which he had experienced an orgasm almost as powerful as when he was in rut, he ate a large breakfast and read up a little on romantic ideas for mating. He and Dean were true mates, but like Gabe, they had the chance to plan it and make it more special. He wanted to have some suggestions ready for when he and Dean discussed it. Whenever he thought about it, his mind immediately went to putting his bite on Dean’s neck and then short circuited, so he had given up trying to come up with something on his own.

Mid morning, he started to get ready for work. Kali had sewn a small inner pocket into his shirt so he could hide the slim case with the vial and syringe in it. When he wore his standard issue sweater vest over it, it was completely hidden.

Dean had two and a half months left of his sentence. Cas would only be able to be with him for the next two weeks, then he would have to “present” and Dean would be alone until he was freed. At least Sam would be able to visit him weekly instead of whenever he could convince Michael to let him. It gave Cas some small comfort.

He dreaded having to deal with Michael and Luke again. Wholly narcissistic and cruel, they had been almost unbearable growing up. Once Cas had been diagnosed, they had reached new levels of cruelty. He much preferred when they ignored his existence.

He dressed carefully. Managing to mostly tame his hair, he realised with a start that he had almost forgotten to put his blockers on. He applied them with care, pushing the small spray into the pocket of his slacks when he was done. So far he had managed to apply them regularly without attracting attention. Considering the building he worked in was almost completely covered by cameras, he’d found the blind spots and ways to hide without arousing suspicion.

He deliberately tried to put out of his mind the important task he had to perform today. Knowing if he thought too hard about it, he wouldn’t be able to go through with it. His ruthless streak ended where Dean began apparently.

He pulled on his boots and laced them, then double checked his silhouette in the full length mirror to make sure the small case was in no way visible.

He checked the time and winced when he realised if he didn’t leave soon, he would be late. He left his bedroom and quickly locked up the house. Seeing no sign of Meg anywhere. He grabbed his leather jacket and helmet before snatching his keys from the hook and headed outside to his bike.

The journey to work was uneventful, he took no risks and stuck to the speed limit. Just as he had ever since meeting Dean. He approached the gates of the prison, waving to the guards and showing his I.D, and waiting for them to open the gate.

As soon as the gate opened, he carefully guided the bike around to the staff car park and parked his bike in his spot. He took off his helmet and waved to a couple of other officers who were arriving for the same shift.

Cas looked calm on the outside, but he was hyper-conscious of the small case pressing into his ribs. As he passed through the security gate and into the prison itself, he held his motorcycle helmet under his arm and pressed against the small case as he allowed the officer on duty to give him a light pat down. The officer ignored the side where Cas was holding the motorcycle helmet, just as Cas had intended him to, and waved him through.

Cas went into the locker room and put his jacket and helmet into his locker. He looked up at the clock and hurried through to his office where Hannah was waiting for him with a frown on her face as she looked at a clipboard in her hand.

“ Hello, Hannah.” Cas asked, trying to sound casual. “What brings you to my office today?” he asked.

Hannah sighed. “Hello, Castiel. I’m afraid we have a problem on the short term prisoners wing.” she said, making Cas’ heart rate pick up.

“ What do you mean?” he asked, worriedly. “We’ve just done a sweep for contraband, we confiscated a few items and logged them appropriately.” he said, looking confused.

Hannah nodded. “I’m aware, but there has been an incident and I need to ask you some questions, Castiel.” Hannah said seriously.

Cas tried to push down the panic forming in his chest. “Of course, how can I help?”

“ One of the Beta officers was caught in a prisoner's bunk last night. He had been having a sexual relationship with the Omega in question for weeks. I need to know if you knew about it?” she asked, staring at Cas.

Cas’ eyes bulged out of his head. “No, I didn’t. Who was it?” he asked, looking shocked.

Hannah breathed out a sigh of relief. “I knew you couldn’t have known. But this is terrible for us. The Omega’s Alpha is a powerful man and he is threatening to sue.” she said worriedly.

“ Who was it? Was the Omega a willing participant?” Cas asked, annoyed at Hannah’s attitude. She should be more concerned whether the Omega had been abused or not.

“ Ed Zeddmore. The Omega is Harry Spangler and was more than willing. He attacked the officer that discovered them together. He had to be sedated when Ed was arrested.” she explained.

Cas sighed. They had been doing the same as he and Dean. His sympathy was with them and his chest hurt at the thought of being torn away from Dean like that.

“ There is going to be an investigation by an external agency. I want you to make sure everyone cooperates.” Hannah went on. “I just can’t believe this was going on under our noses the whole time.” she said in disbelief.

Cas cringed as he felt the case against his ribs, he clenched his fist to prevent himself from touching it and bringing attention to it. If Hannah knew exactly what was going on under her nose, he suspected she’d have a stroke.

“ Okay. I’m guessing the wing will be restless today after last night's incident. I’ll be on the wing myself today, so I can keep an eye on the situation.” Cas assured her.

Hannah smiled. “I can always count on you to remain calm and do your job. Honestly, if I could clone you, this prison would run like clockwork.” she joked.

Cas suppressed the urge to laugh. If only she knew.

“ Okay, the external team will be coming by just after lunch. Please be ready to meet with them and answer any questions they have. Harry Spangler’s friends and associates will need to be questioned too. So you might want to pull them out of work at the laundry or their classes and keep them in their cells.” Hannah suggested.

Cas nodded. This was a crimp in the plan. It would be difficult to carry it out under the noses of an external investigation. Not to mention everyone else would be hyper aware of anything going on. He only hoped that no-one had noticed anything between him and Dean or it would definitely be reported. “Of course. I’ll go over to the wing now and supervise shift change, then begin to round up Harry’s friends.” he agreed.

Hannah smiled and pressed her hand on Cas’ bicep. “Thank you, Castiel.” she said, giving him a look that screamed of want, before an expression of disappointment replaced it and she moved away quickly. 

Cas was shocked. Hannah had looked at him like that many times, but he had never recognised it for what it was until he saw the same look of desire on Dean’s face. He felt uncomfortable and moved to the other side of his desk, putting space between them.

“ Okay, I’d better get to work.” he said, just wanting Hannah out of his office and far away from him.

Hannah looked like she was about to say something, but seemed to change her mind and just nodded. “Okay. I’ll go and speak to the lawyers, see if I can try and smooth this out before it gets out of hand.” she said, switching back to a professional tone as she smoothed out her pant suit absently.

“ Thank you.” Cas said in a clipped tone, not even looking at her as he picked up a file and pretended to read through it.

Hannah left the office, the door closing with a click and the sound of her high heels clacking in the corridor fading, Cas finally felt like he could breathe.

He sat down at his desk and buried his face in his hands. He hadn’t noticed the relationship between Ed and Harry at all. He knew it was because he was mostly focused on his own relationship. He questioned what he would have done if he had discovered them himself. Would he have been able to report them, knowing he was guilty of the same thing? He honestly didn’t know and it shamed him.

He supposed it was slightly different in his and Dean’s case, they were true mates. But even so, did that mean that relationships outside of that weren’t valid? He frowned. Of course they were. Ed and Harry had fallen in love, it was just as valid as he and Dean. He felt sorrow for the doomed couple. They would certainly never see each other again. Ed would find himself in jail soon enough and Harry would be punished by his Alpha and probably collared for good measure.

He was more determined than ever that he and Dean would be together. They would beat the odds stacked against them.

He checked for his keycard and I.D and headed out of the office. The three officers manning the CCTV station looked up glumly. They had obviously heard about the scandal and were shocked by it.

“ I’m going up to supervise shift change,” he said, equally glum.

No-one answered but he saw three nods of acknowledgement and headed up to the wing.

As soon as he entered the wing, he saw Dean had positioned himself in full view of the door so he could see the moment Cas stepped into the cafeteria. He looked afraid. Cas realised he had heard everything last night and was worried. The Omegas were all gossiping in loud voices, the excitement was palpable as they dashed around from table to table sharing the latest rumours.

“ Settle down!” Cas shouted over the din and the Omegas reluctantly reduced the noise level to whispers.

Cas handled the changeover, instructing the outgoing officers to head down to the warden's office to debrief and make their statements before they left. The incoming officers were briefed on the situation and told to cooperate with the investigators.

When he dismissed them, he moved over to the table where Harry’s friends sat, all of them looking miserable. Several of them were crying and there was more than one hostile look in his direction. He knew a gentle approach was needed here.

“ All of you are excused from your duties or classes this afternoon.” he said softly. “There are investigators coming from outside to ask you all some questions. None of you are in trouble, but it would be better for you if you cooperate as much as you can. It’s for Harry’s sake, okay? They want to make sure he wasn’t abused. If you want someone to be with you during your interview, just ask me or one of the other officers, okay? In the meantime, go back to your cells after lunch and wait until someone comes to get you.” he said, looking around the table at the crestfallen faces.

He saw Dean out of the corner of his eye, the Omega was twitchy and drawing attention to himself with his nervous behaviour, Cas frowned at him as a warning to settle down and Dean obeyed.

He stepped away from the table and headed over to the table where Dean sat surrounded by the group he had become attached to. Jesse and Alfie were gossiping excitedly next to Linda and Kevin who were silently watching the entire cafeteria. Kaia moodily picked at her cuticles, her cuffs pulled down to her knuckles as she curled in the chair, her feet pulled up under her and her oversized top pulled down over her knees.

“ Hey Officer Novak!” Jessie said, grinning. “Is it true? Did Ed and Harry have an affair?” he asked, whisper shouting.

Cas sighed. “That’s what the investigation is for, I can’t comment on it until the external investigators have finished questioning everyone involved.” he said patiently.

Kaia snorted. “It wasn’t an affair. It was abuse, dumbass.” she spat, angrily.

Jesse shook his head. “That’s not what I heard. I heard Harry was the one who made a pass at Ed.” he said stubbornly.

Kaia sneered at him. “Harry is an inmate, by definition he is a victim. He can’t consent in this environment. The P.O’s are supposed to be the moral authority here. Ed should have walked away.” she raged, her whole body shaking.

Cas paled. Is that what he had done to Dean, abused his position and molested Dean in an environment he couldn’t possibly consent in? He looked at Dean, who shook his head minutely, realising what train of thought he was on.

Cas wasn’t convinced. “Like I said, I can’t comment. But there will be some people coming in today who may want to ask you some questions. If you have anything you think we should know, come and tell either me or one of the other officers.” he said shakily, feeling sick to the stomach.

“ You okay, Officer Novak. Are you sick again?” Alfie asked, noticing the way Cas was gripping the back of the chair he was leaning on.

Cas stood up and cleared his throat. “Um, yes. I mean, no. I’m fine.” he stammered, unable to look at Dean. “You might want to start lining up for your classes, the officers are getting ready to take you down.” he ordered, stepping away.

“ Uh, Officer Novak?”

Cas heard Dean’s voice and his heart sank. Dean was taking a big risk, not only of marking himself out as an informant, but of revealing their relationship.

He turned with a stern look on his face, pissed at the stupid risk Dean was taking.

“ Yes, Dean. I’m very busy, can you make this quick?” he snapped.

Dean looked taken aback. “I- I’m not feeling too good. Can I stay in my cell?” he asked loudly, wrapping his arms around himself protectively.

Cas frowned. “Are you unwell? Do you need to go to the medical wing?” he asked.

Dean shrugged. “I dunno. I started to feel sick last night, the guys here were saying I don’t look too good.” he said, indicating with his thumb to the Omegas at his table who were all looking over with concern.

Dean did look tired. Cas suddenly realised what he was doing. Dean was setting the stage for later, so that no-one would question his sudden illness. It was also a message, he wanted to proceed with the plan. He didn’t think it was the same for them as Ed and Harry.

“ Okay, give me a moment to get everyone organised and I’ll assess whether you need to see the doctor, okay?” Cas said, kindly.

Dean nodded and went to sit at the table, pulling his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them, looking as pathetic as possible. The other Omegas were surrounding him, fussing over him and checking him for fever.

“ Why didn’t you say you felt even more sick earlier?” Alfie asked, placing his hand on Dean’s forehead.

“ He said he didn’t sleep too well this morning at breakfast, I thought he looked peaky then.” Jesse said, offering Dean some water.

Linda came over and sniffed Dean. “Hmmm, I can’t smell any sickness on you. It doesn’t mean much though, could just be the start of something.” she said, looking at Kevin who looked away guiltily. She looked scared as she watched Dean.

Cas realised that Dean was faking the early symptoms of a serious RTI. Dean had told him that Kevin had supplied the Omega aid and Linda obviously knew the risks involved, and she was afraid Dean would talk. If it was found out where Dean got it from, Kevin would be in serious trouble for causing Dean’s apparent infertility.

Cas left the Omegas to fuss over Dean who just curled in on himself, and went to organise his officers who were having problems wrangling the over-excited Omegas.

“ Those who are not in their assigned lines in ten seconds, will lose yard privileges for a week!” Cas bellowed, his deep voice carrying across the cafeteria.

Omegas hurriedly lined up, still chattering excitedly. Cas could see the Omegas at Dean’s table leaving him reluctantly to join their assigned lines, worriedly looking back over at Dean who was now laying his head on the table, cradling his stomach.

Cas nodded to one of the officers to get the lines moving and walked back over to Dean. He crouched down next to him looking concerned as Dean partially covered his face with his arm.

“ Are you sure?” Cas asked.

Dean nodded, hiding a smile. “Yeah.” he murmured. “It ain’t the same, Cas. Okay? I’m good with this.” he assured him.

Cas looked relieved. “I wasn’t sure after-”

“ I figured we just had to change things up after what happened last night, you’ll have to give it to me on the way to the medical wing instead. Y’know, makin’ it up as we go.” Dean whispered. Cas suppressed a smile and nodded, reaching for his radio.

“ Show me escorting Dean Winchester LAZ401 to the medical wing.” he said into the mic.

A female voice came through sounding concerned. “ _ Is there a problem? _ ”

Cas lifted the radio to his face. “He’s looking pretty sick. Definitely needs medical attention. Suspected RTI.” he replied. It happened often enough that the officers all knew what to look for.

“ _ Okay, better to be safe than sorry. I’ll radio over for them to expect him. _ ” she said, sounding flustered.

Cas pretended to help Dean to his feet as the Omegas finished filing out of the doors to the cafeteria. Dean leaned on him heavily and limped alongside as Cas guided him towards the medical wing, occasionally stumbling.

There were two blind spots on the way. At the first, Cas hurriedly pulled the case out of his shirt and hid it between him and Dean. At the second, just before they went out of camera range, Dean appeared to stumble, falling out of frame followed by Cas who reached out to catch him.

“ Now Cas, we don’t have long!” Dean hissed.

Cas’ hands were shaking as he hurriedly filled the syringe from the vial. He tapped the syringe to free any air bubbles and plunged the needle into Dean’s thigh, depressing the plunger quickly.

“ Arrrgh! Son of a bitch! That hurts!” Dean hissed. Cas looked distraught for a second until Dean shook his head. “I’m fine.” he whispered, trying to reassure him. “I just hate needles”

Cas gave him an incredulous look. “And you’re just telling me this  _ now?”  _ he growled. He pulled the needle out and capped it, shoving it into his pocket.

Dean leaned over to peck him on the lips. “It’s done. C’mon, the next part’s easy.” he said excitedly.

Cas helped him up and Dean swayed on the spot.

“ Whoa, shit!” Dean said, breaking out in a sweat. “That shit works fast. I thought we had a couple of hours?” he said, grimacing.

Cas propped him up and helped him walk. “It was supposed to, from what Gabe said.” he muttered quietly as he took more of Dean’s weight.

Dean stumbled again. “Ugh, sorry.” he said as Cas caught him again. “That one wasn’t fake.” he whispered hoarsely. “Starting to feel pretty bad now.”

Cas was virtually carrying Dean as they approached the door to the medical wing. Realising he couldn’t hold Dean and open the door, he made an executive decision.

“ Dean, I’m going to have to call for help. I’d carry you there myself, but it would raise a few eyebrows.” he said, helping Dean to the floor, where he leaned against the wall, his head hanging listlessly.

Cas reached for his radio.

“ This is Officer Novak. I need medical assistance. Inmate has collapsed in corridor c on route to the medical wing. Suspected RTI.” he said into the mic.

“ _ I can see you on the cameras. Someone is already on route with a stretcher _ .” the voice replied. “ _ How’s his breathing? _ ”

Dean gave a shaky thumbs up.

“ He’s breathing okay.” Cas said, kneeling down next to Dean. He felt awful. Dean was suffering right now and it was his fault.

“ _ Okay, they’ll be there any moment. Hang tight. _ ” the voice said.

Cas could hear the outer door opening and running feet.

“ Hey, this is just like how we met, but opposite. Kinda poetic.” Dean mused. Then he leaned forward and vomited all over himself.

Cas almost panicked. Half holding Dean up, he rubbed his back as Dean spluttered as more vomit forced its way out, going all over Cas’ bare arm and the leg of his pants.

The door opened and several nurses and a doctor burst into the corridor.

“ Okay, let’s get him to a bed. I want a line of fluids in and we’ll get started on the antibiotics. Might as well treat it as if it is an RTI, just in case. We can get ahead of it. Once he’s stable, we’ll get a sample off to the lab to confirm.” the young doctor ordered as Dean was loaded onto the stretcher.

Cas stood up looking shell shocked, staring at Dean with guilt in his eyes.

“ Wanna follow me so we can get you cleaned up?” a nurse offered, gesturing to the vomit covering Cas.

Cas nodded, his eyes never leaving Dean as he was wheeled through the door and down the corridor to the medical wing.

“ Good catch, Novak. These things can progress fast and get really bad for some Omegas. They can die if it’s not caught early. Although it still might affect his fertility if he’s unlucky.” the nurse continued as Cas walked beside her.

“ It’s why the policy against Omega aids is in place after all.” Cas said, his voice flat. “Although if they were given adequate supplies instead, it would be better for them all round.”

The nurse looked at him in surprise. “Preaching to the choir, man. It’s the Alphas that get precious about it. God forbid their Omegas are allowed an aid instead of their big Alpha cocks. They must be scared that Omegas will realise a fake knot gives them significantly less Alpha bullshit.” she chuckled.

Cas stayed silent. He watched as Dean was transferred to a bed. He was shaking now, his teeth chattering as sweat poured off him.

“ So the Omegas are forced to use whatever they can and it’s not always possible to clean them adequately so they end up with a reproductive tract infection. It’s more likely in male Omegas, ‘cause of their unique anatomy.” the nurse continued, ushering Cas into a bay. “Now, use some of these wipes to clean yourself up. I’ll see if I can scrounge up a pair of pants for you.” she indicated to a trolley of supplies and left, pulling the curtain closed and blocking Cas’ view of Dean.

Cas cleaned himself up as best he could. Taking the opportunity to dump the syringe into the sharps box on the trolley and the vial into the medical waste bin. He had originally planned to put them in the furnace, but with everything going on, he didn’t want to have to explain his presence there. He could hear Dean groaning as the nurses tended to him, stripping his soiled clothing off and trying to get a line in him. He heard Dean whimper and had to stop himself from running to him. He had not planned for this. He couldn’t bear it.

“ Hey, I found you some pants. They’re only scrubs I’m afraid, but it’ll be enough for you to go over and get your spare uniform pants… Hello?” the nurse called through the curtain, sounding unsure when Cas didn’t immediately answer.

Cas opened the curtain and took the pants gratefully. He looked over and saw that Dean was now lying on his side, shirtless and covered by a blanket. He looked a little more comfortable. But he was deathly pale and still trembling.

“ Take good care of him.” he asked quietly. “Don’t let Marv antagonise him.”

The nurse grimaced. “Marv was fired, he kept harassing the Omegas when they came out of heat. You know how Warden Hannah insists on a calm environment for them.” she looked over at Dean and back at Cas. “Do you have a soft spot for him because he helped you that time you were sick, or something?”

Cas looked at her. “Something like that.” he agreed


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> We're having a heatwave here in the UK, as a rule we don't have air con, so we're melting into puddles as we try to finish the renovations. It's going well, ish. I think we're on track to finish by the weekend. 
> 
> I loved writing this one, some more Cas and Sam being bros, and Dean earning that Oscar twice over, plus an old fave drops by with a cameo. I think you'll like it, I know i do. 😁
> 
> As always comments and kudos save fic writers, please donate generously.

**Chapter Fifteen. Light at the end of the tunnel.**

  
  


Cas sat on his deck, slowly drinking a beer. The sun had gone down a little while ago, but Cas hadn’t bothered to put the lights on, preferring to look at the stars instead as he brooded.

Gabe had called earlier and Cas had yelled at him for ten minutes. They were supposed to have had time before Dean showed symptoms, not an almost instant reaction. Without Dean’s forethought to act sick, the plan would have gone sideways. Gabe had apologised profusely, but added that the prison had sent a sample of Dean’s blood to the lab for tests as planned. Gabe’s employee had sent back a positive for a severe strain of RTI a few hours later. A strain that nearly always resulted in infertility. He expected the second sample to test his fertility levels to come the next day or the day after.

The rest of his day had been taken up with escorting the investigators and filling out reports. He couldn’t even ask how Dean was doing without raising suspicion and he had struggled to perform his tasks properly. His mind clearly elsewhere.

Hannah had noticed and put his unease down to the stress of the investigation. When Cas had given his own interview, he had told the truth, he knew nothing about the relationship.

He’d had to use the blockers a lot today to combat his anxiety for Dean. His fellow officers were concerned when he kept disappearing to the bathroom, asking if he was sick again. Cas waved it off, stating it was the stress of the investigation. Hannah’s explanation serving as a catch-all for his mood.

When he’d finally finished his shift, he’d found it difficult to leave, knowing Dean was sick. His instincts telling him to go back and scoop him into his arms.

Now he sat watching the stars. He was supposed to be packing his things, ready to go into storage once he formally presented. He knew he wouldn’t be able to stay in this house. Once Mike and Luke knew, he would have to go into hiding or they would make his life hell. Not to mention the fact that a sudden late presentation would be big news. The press would want the story at all costs.

Gabe had arranged for him to hide out at a hotel near the airport for a week and then he would board the plane that would take him to Canada where he would travel to the house that was being built for him and Dean. It was an attractive log cabin near the planned resort, with beautiful views and space for a good sized garden. Dean’s allergies would prevent Cas taking Meg with him, but the Vet who lived next door had promised to keep an eye out for her.

Hearing the side gate rattle he sat up and peered around the corner as Sam strolled around the side of the house.

“ Hey, Cas. Feel like some company? Eileen kinda shoved me out of the door because I was brooding about Dean.” said Sam, throwing himself into the other chair.

Cas nodded, fiddling with the label on his beer. “Well, they say misery loves company.” he said half heartedly.

“ In your text, you said you got it done. But how did it go, really?” Sam asked.

Cas closed his eyes and sagged in his chair. “I really don’t want to relive it, Sam. If that’s okay with you.” he said sadly. “Not yet, anyway.”

Sam chewed his lip and indicated to the cooler where several more beers sat in the ice that was melting. “Fair enough. Mind if I join you?”

Cas nodded. “Help yourself. It’ll stop me drinking them all.” he said moodily.

Sam took a beer and twisted off the top, but didn’t take a sip right away.

“ Wanna play cards?” he offered.

“ No.” Cas replied.

Sam took a sip of his beer before looking at Cas hopefully. “I brought a movie over, it’s one of Dean’s favourites, we could watch that?”

“ No, thank you.” Cas growled, then looked contrite. “I’m sorry. I’m not going to be very good company tonight.” he sighed.

Sam just shrugged. “No problem, Cas.” he said kindly. “Have you eaten? We could order pizza?”

Cas shook his head. “I wasn’t hungry earlier. But it’s probably a good idea if we’re going to drink. There’s a flyer in the drawer under the microwave.” he said, waving a hand towards the house.

Sam jumped up and went into the house. Cas could hear the drawer open and shut then the back door opened and Sam came out with his cell phone at his ear.

“ What do you want?.” Sam whispered as he listened to the line ring.

“ Meat lovers. Extra sauce. Extra cheese. If I’m punishing myself, I might as well do it properly and give myself a heart attack.” Cas said dryly.

Sam snorted. “You’re definitely Dean’s true mate.” he quipped, rolling his eyes.

Despite himself, Cas huffed a laugh. “Get some of those breadstick things. Oh, and garlic knots. I’m craving carbs.” he smiled.

Sam nodded as he began placing their order. Choosing a veggie supreme for himself and looking over at Cas, he ordered a bottle of soda.

Cas leaned back in the chair and took a sip of his beer. It was growing warm where he had been holding it. He hadn’t actually had that much, he’ been sitting outside for an hour and was still on his first beer.

Sam gave the address and hung up. “Thirty minutes or less.” he quipped, reaching for his beer and taking a sip. “I got a soda in case we decided to switch.” he said unnecessarily.

Cas stood up and switched on the lights for the deck, bathing it in a warm yellow glow, and then opened the back door, closing the screen.

“ So we can hear the doorbell.” he said to Sam, who nodded. “What do I owe you?” he asked, digging into his pocket for his wallet.

Sam shook his head and began to speak but Cas cut him off. “Sam, if you try and pay for the pizza, I swear I won’t just dislocate your arm this time, I’ll rip it clean off.” he threatened with a growl.

Sam was surprised into a nervous laugh. “Jesus Christ, Cas. I was just gonna say I used my student discount so I’ll just pay the tip instead.” he said looking surprised at the aggression coming from the usually mild mannered man in front of him.

Cas opened his wallet and took out a couple of twenty dollar bills. “That should cover it,” he said, putting the wallet back into his pocket.

They sat in silence for a moment before Cas spoke. “How is your arm doing, anyway?” he asked.

Sam automatically put his hand on his shoulder and grimaced. “It’s not as bad as it was at first. It’s at that stage where you forget about it until you move a certain way and it reminds you.” he chuckled.

“ I am sorry about that.” Cas said, genuinely apologetic.

Sam laughed and shook his head. “It was my own fault, Cas. You got me in a hold and I was trying to throw you off my back and landed wrong when I tripped. Plus, I was the one who suggested it in the first place.” he admitted.

Cas sighed. “Before I presented, I thought that behaviour as pointless and stupid. But now-”

“ Now you  _ know _ it is.” Sam interrupted with a laugh.

Cas chuckled. “Indeed.”

“ You wanna punch something right now, don’t you?” Sam guessed.

Cas nodded. “I do. Logically, I know it won’t solve anything, but my instincts tell me that my Omega is in danger and I need to fight.” he said, sounding disappointed in himself.

Sam nodded. “Yep, that’s about normal. You got a punchbag or anything?” he asked.

Cas shook his head. “No, I use the gym at work normally, but since I presented, it’s too dangerous. I’d sweat my blockers off and be discovered too easily.” he said sadly.

Sam looked thoughtful. “Got an old blanket and some duct tape? A bit of rope?” he asked.

Cas frowned. “Yes, why?”

“ I’ll show you how to make one. You can punch that to your heart's content.” Sam said with a grin.

Cas brightened up considerably. “That’s very clever.” he said with a smile. I’ll dig them out and we can make it while we eat pizza.”

Sam smiled. “You can channel the aggression Cas. You don’t have to push it down all the time. It’s not healthy.” he advised. “I’ve had years to get used to it. You’ve only had months, so give yourself a break.”

Cas looked thoughtful, letting out a sigh. “We had to adjust the plan, Sam. He became ill so fast, it was terrifying. But he was so brave. I thought we’d make it to the medical wing under our own steam, but I had to call for help on the radio when he couldn’t stand up anymore. Then I had to listen to his cries because they wouldn’t let me leave. Dean had thrown up all over me and I needed to clean up before they’d let me go anywhere. I was trying to stay calm, but he was only feet away and he needed me. I had to leave him there without comfort.” he said, as he choked on a sob, finally breaking down.

Sam looked tearful. “Jesus. That all sounds awful, Cas. Poor Dean.” he sympathised. “No wonder you’re so upset. But dude, you did so well keeping your cool. I’m not sure I could do the same if it was Eileen to be honest.” he admitted.

“ I know he is in no real danger, but my instincts don’t care.” Cas said hoarsely.

Sam patted Cas on the shoulder. “You wouldn’t be a good Alpha otherwise, man.” he said. “I’m gonna say something and I want you to listen.” he paused as Cas looked over at him. “I trust you with my brother.”

Cas’ eyebrows went up in surprise.

Sam continued. “I wouldn’t say that to just anyone, Cas. My Dad was an asshole, whenever he wasn’t gone. Which was most of the time. So it was just me and Dean, he raised me. Whatever credit goes with who I am now, it belongs to Dean. So trusting someone else with Dean’s life is hard for me. But, I  _ know _ he’ll be safe with you. Not just because you’re his true mate, but because of who you are.” he said seriously.

Cas looked touched. “Thank you, Sam. I’ll do my best to live up to it.” he promised.

The doorbell rang, breaking the mood.

Cas stood up and grabbed the money from the table, handing it to Sam, who ignored it and enveloped Cas in a hug instead.

Cas froze, completely unprepared for such a show of affection from the younger Alpha.

“ This is the part where you hug back, Cas.” Sam chuckled.

Cas lifted up his arms and placed them around Sam loosely, patting him on the back awkwardly.

“ There you go.” Sam said, slapping Cas on the back roughly and stepping back. “Now, I’ll get the pizza if you get glasses for the soda. We should probably give the beers a miss tonight.” he said pointedly as he took the cash from Cas.

Cas nodded. He felt a rush of affection for the tall man. He felt lucky to count him as a friend, soon to be family.

  
  
  


****************

  
  


Dean felt like hammered crap. His joints hurt and his skin felt too tight. He was seriously regretting letting Cas convince him to do this.

A nurse came by, she smiled as she approached the bed. “Hey Dean, I’m Sarah. Just checking in. The doctor will be along to explain what’s going on in a few minutes. I’m gonna change your fluids out for a fresh bag. Just stay still and I’ll do the work, okay?” she said kindly.

Dean nodded. Not having the energy to reply properly.

“ You gave poor Officer Novak a scare, I’ve never seen him look so spooked. Not even when he ended up in here himself. I guess you two are friends or something?” Sarah asked, her tone friendly as she changed the now empty bag of fluids.

Dean licked his dry lips. “I wouldn’t call us friends exactly.” he said, hissing as the line in his hand tugged when he moved his arm.

“ Don’t hurt yourself. You’ll be feeling a little tender for a few days. I’ll give you some more pain meds after the doctor has spoken to you.” she said, hanging up the new bag and connecting it to the line in his hand.

“ That’d be great.” Dean said gratefully. “I feel like I need a triple espresso or something. I’m wiped out, just wanna sleep.”

“ You’re still nil-by-mouth at the moment. Hopefully later on today you’ll be allowed clear fluids.” Sarah said sympathetically as she wrote on his chart.

Dean scowled. He didn’t really feel like eating or drinking anything right now, but it was the principal of the thing.

“ I’m just gonna do your obs. Again, just stay still and let me do the work.” Sarah said, putting a clip on his finger and then wrapping a blood pressure cuff around his arm.

As the cuff inflated automatically, she took his temperature and began writing on the chart again. “We’ve got your temperature down a little since yesterday, but it’s still a little high to be honest. I’d like it to be a little lower at this point. But we’re moving in the right direction.” she said as she looked at the numbers on the blood pressure machine. “Hmmm not bad. A little low, but that’s to be expected.”

Dean closed his eyes and took a few breaths as another wave of nausea rolled over him.

“ Hello Dean.” a deep voice said. But it was wrong, not deep or gravelly enough. Dean felt a pang of longing for his Alpha. He wanted nothing more than to curl up with Cas right now. He let out a whine of frustration.

Dean opened his eyes and saw a young male doctor standing at the foot of his bed. He wore light blue worn scrubs and an earnest expression.

“ I’m Dr Daniel. I’m glad to see you look a little better than yesterday. I need to ask you some questions, if I may? They are a little bit personal, but don’t be embarrassed. I assure you, I’ve heard everything before.” the doctor walked around and sat in the chair next to the bed.

Dean knew what was coming and braced himself. Cas had explained that as soon as a suspected RTI was reported, the Omega’s cell would be searched for an Omega aid.

Dean had hidden his in a plastic bag under his mattress, where the officers would expect to find it. He had hidden his most private letters down in the laundry. Although they were coded, he didn’t want anyone reading them and figuring out the code. There was nothing else in his cell he had to worry about. He just had to act the part of heartbroken Omega.

“ So, the officers found an improvised Omega aid in your cell. I’m sure you are aware that they are not allowed. The reason behind it is the increased risk of a reproductive tract infection.” Dr Daniel explained seriously. He leaned forward and took a deep breath before continuing.

“ Now, we have confirmed that you have indeed contracted an infection. Unfortunately it is a strain that almost always causes infertility if not caught early. We are hoping that we caught yours quickly enough that you are not completely infertile, but the chances are you will find it difficult, if not impossible to conceive or carry to full term. Now we don’t have any sophisticated scanning equipment here to see the extent of the damage, but I can confirm with a blood test in the meantime. Your Alpha can take you to a hospital for more extensive tests once you have completed your sentence.” he said gravely. “I’m very sorry.” he added, his expression full of sympathy.

Dean covered his face with his hands. He channelled his longing for Cas into grief and let it bleed into his scent. He felt the nurse rubbing his arm, trying to comfort him as he let out a sob. He was aware that he was literally acting for his life and he let a little of the desperation and fear over the last few months into his performance. It was cathartic to let it out as he wept and sobbed.

“ I’ve informed your Alpha. He was understandably upset, but requested we perform the blood test to confirm. So we’ll take some blood from you today and we should get the results by tomorrow.” Dr Daniel said, sadly.

Dean nodded, accepting a tissue from Sarah gratefully and wiping his eyes.

“ Do you have any questions for me?” he asked Dean, his voice gentle.

Dean shook his head.

Dr Daniel patted Dean on the arm. “I read in your file that you have been attending therapy. I’d like to bring them in so you can work through what you are feeling right now.” he offered.

Dean shook his head. “Not- not ready.” he hiccuped, leaning forward and resting his arms on his knees.

Sarah rubbed his back soothingly. “That’s fine. They have a copy of the results, so you can discuss it with them when you feel up to it.”

Dean began to cry again, finding it hard to stop now that he had started and the scent of his distress was enough to make the doctor take a step back. “I’ll get you some pain meds. They’ll help you sleep too.” he offered.

Twenty minutes later Dean was more settled, the pain meds were working into his system and he was beginning to doze. Everything was going to plan. He wondered how Cas was faring. The poor Alpha had looked destroyed yesterday, he’d have to find a way to make it up to him. He fell asleep thinking of his Alpha.

  
  


**************

  
  


Cas sat in his office, supposedly catching up on paperwork, but he was browsing through Amazon looking for a gift for Dean. He wanted to give him something he could hold on to once he had gone on ahead to Canada. Jewellery would most likely be stolen, so a ring was out. A plushy was too teenage girl for either of them. A photo was too dangerous.

He gave up and texted Gabe, complaining that buying gifts for Dean was too hard. He noticed that he had two missed calls from Sam, but no messages. He couldn’t risk speaking to Sam at work, so he made a mental note to call him once he had finished his shift.

Gabe texted a link for a custom made leather website. With the message  _ :Loverboy will cream his panties over these. _

Rolling his eyes, he followed the link out of curiosity and was pleasantly surprised to see that they made leather jewellery. He looked over the various cuffs, plaited bands and necklaces and saw one he knew Dean would love. It was a simple brown leather cord, knotted in place around the wrist, the two ends had a coloured bead knotted on each end.

Cas smiled as he placed his order, customising it with one blue bead and one green for the colour of their eyes. It was simple, but served as a reminder that they belonged together and a promise of forever. He paid extra to have it fast tracked. It would be delivered to his house in just two days. Getting it to Dean wouldn’t be too hard. He could smuggle it in on his own wrist if needed.

He sent a quick text to Gabe, thanking him and then started on his actual paperwork. Dean was still in the medical wing recovering and he didn’t want to see his empty cell as a reminder. He probably had another day left before he would be placed back in gen pop on the short term offenders wing.

He frowned as he picked up a report that had Dean’s name on it. It was a report on the search of his cell. The improvised omega aid had been found and photographed, before being destroyed. His letters had been read through, none had been flagged, having been read before. He had no outgoing mail prepared.

He flipped the page and realised it was a copy of the official letter sent to Michael. Cas scanned it and laughed out loud as he thought of his brother's fury. In it, was a description of the dildo, along with measurements. He knew from growing up with Michael that the aid was significantly bigger than him. That had to be a blow on the self important Alpha’s ego. The fact that it was on par with Cas’ penis gave him a smug smile as well.

Then there was the section on the legalities, how the prison couldn’t be held responsible for Dean’s condition as he was in violation of the rules at the time of the injury, so the prison was therefore not liable for damages.

Lastly, was a section stating that Dean would not be punished for his violation of the rules as the board felt he would suffer enough due to his condition. Cas sighed with relief at that, he had been worried that the board might make an example out of him and put him in solitary. He supposed that the board felt he already served as an example due to his apparent infertility and anything more would be overkill.

Cas radio crackled to life.

“ _ Castiel. We have an approved visitor for inmate Dean Winchester LAZ401 at the office. It’s his lawyer. I need a senior officer to come and approve an Alpha out of hours visitor _ .” Ezra’s voice sounded strained.

Cas frowned, he wasn’t aware that Dean had a lawyer. Then he realised that because Dean was legally Michaels property, that it was actually Michael’s lawyer. Which meant it would almost certainly be Crowley. He knew Crowley from his previous dealings with Michael. Crowley had been the one to serve his eviction papers and tell him he was being cut off. If he was here, he must have been sent by Michael himself. He thought back to Sam’s calls and his heart started beating rapidly in his chest. This could be what they were all waiting for.

“ I’m on my way.” he said. “Radio the medical wing and ask them for the scent proof room. Tell them I’ll be coming in through the access tunnel.”

He stood up and straightened his clothes, checking his reflection and straightening his hair. He went to straighten his tie and smiled. Since Dean had told him about clip-on ties, his tie hadn’t been backwards once.

Just in case, he quickly sprayed on his blockers to completely cover his scent, and picked up his key card from the desk.

On the walk over to the main office, he wondered if Crowley realised that he worked here. The man had been unpleasant, but didn’t seem to take joy in Cas’ misfortune. He had been blunt, but not rude, and Cas had been in shock at the time. He was still reeling from his parents sudden death, but it hadn’t entered his head that Michael would turn him out and cut him off so quickly. He thought that he would at least let him finish his final semester at college. Thank God Gabe had stepped in.

He arrived at the office and saw the short, balding man in a black suit and red tie standing by the receptionist's desk. He had a bored look on his face as he scrolled through his phone. His scent of woodsmoke was detectable from the other side of the room.

“ Crowley.” Cas said, his tone flat.

Crowley looked up with a frown. “Bloody hell. I forgot you worked here.” he said, pushing his phone into his pocket. “I guess that’s what gave Michael the idea in the first place. But you’ve got to admit, it’s bloody weird.”

Cas stared him down. “As your client is currently still in the medical wing, we will have to use the access tunnels to prevent you or your scent being detected by the inmates. There is a scent proof room for you to meet in. As you are an Alpha, one of the staff must be in the room for both your own and the inmate’s protection.” Cas stated the rules clearly. As much as he disliked Crowley, the man was probably here to give him everything he’d ever wanted. So he kept it professional.

Crowley’s eyebrows went up. “Dean is  _ still _ in the medical wing? Bloody hell.” he said, shaking his head. “Jesus, he didn’t even wait until the poor kid was out of danger.” he muttered to himself.

Cas ignored the comment. Crowley wasn’t  _ his _ lawyer, he could repeat everything back to Michael if he said anything.

“ I just need to issue you with a visitor’s pass that will allow you into the medical wing. The one you currently hold won’t let you past this room.” Cas said, signalling to the receptionist, who nodded and began setting it up.

Crowley looked at Cas with interest. “You’ve done pretty well for yourself. That messy business when you were younger wasn’t my idea, you know. But it’s my job to do the things Michael doesn’t want to do, so…” he trailed off.

Cas narrowed his eyes. “I get it. You did what you were paid to do. No more, no less.” he said almost robotically.

Crowley seemed pleased with the answer and turned when the receptionist handed over the updated pass. Crowley immediately hung it around his neck. His photo made him look angry as he scowled at the camera.

“ If you’ll follow me. Please stay to my left at all times, don’t step away or try to open any doors, I will open them for you. Do not speak to anyone until I give you permission to do so. If someone approaches you, you are to stand behind me until I say otherwise. Do you understand?” Cas asked. They would not be going anywhere near the inmates. The scent proof room was just off the main part of the medical wing and the only Omega Crowley would see was Dean. But the law stated that Cas had to give the speech anyway.

Crowley nodded in agreement. “I understand. I didn’t anticipate Dean still being in the medical wing though. I thought I’d be in and out in less than half an hour. Looks like I’ll have to cancel my golf game this afternoon.” he joked.

Cas just looked at him with a cold expression. “If you’re ready, follow me.” he said, turning around and opening the door for Crowley and indicating he should go through it.

They walked in silence through a set of doors and down a flight of stairs to the little used tunnel that connected the different parts of the building. It was put in place to prevent any Alpha visitors being detected by the prisoners. After a long time without any Alpha scents, the scent of a strange Alpha would cause some unmated Omegas to go into heat, others would attack without warning, protecting their nest. Not to mention, he was obviously a lawyer. Some prisoners would attack on principle.

Crowley’s expensive leather shoes were loud against the tiled tunnel walls and floor, echoing along the tunnel and back again. Cas purposefully lengthened his stride so the lawyer was forced into a trot to keep up. It may have been a little on the petty side, but Cas had recently discovered he wasn’t as above it as he thought. It was deeply satisfying to see Crowley almost jogging in his expensive suit while trying to remain dignified.

They approached a set of doors and Cas looked up at the camera, waiting to be let in. The lock opened with a clang and Cas ushered Crowley in and along a corridor to another flight of stairs.

At the top of the stairs, Cas stopped Crowley at a CCTV station where several officers sat.

“ Officer Novak escorting Fergus Crowley, designation Alpha. Here to provide counsel to Dean Winchester LAZ401.” Cas said, indicating the log.

One of the officers picked up the log and scanned it, then checked Crowley’s visitor badge. He wrote something down and nodded, then put a tray on the counter.

“ Valuables in the tray, please. Phone, keys, etc.” the officer said, sounding bored.

Cas suppressed a smile as Crowley grumbled and began to empty his pockets.

“ Do you have any injectable or aerosol medications or any medical prosthesis on you?” the officer asked tonelessly.

Crowley frowned. “What?” he barked, looking annoyed.

“ Asthma pumps, epipens or prosthetic limbs?” the officer said patiently.

“ No!” Crowley growled, puffing out his chest and trying to look taller.

“ Thank you, sir. You may collect your items on the way out. In the meantime, please stay behind the red line and with your escorting officer at all times. Failure to do so may result in injury to your person and possible conviction of a crime. It will also end your visit here today.” the officer said, not impressed by Crowley’s posturing in the slightest.

“ This way.” Cas said, with a twinkle of amusement in his eye. Indicating that Crowley should follow.

The bland grey walls had given way to light blue. An apparent attempt to make the medical wing look more clinical. But it just made the place seem more cold and lifeless.

Cas led them down yet another corridor and stopped outside a metal door.

“ This leads to the scent proof room. Do not cross the red line. Do not make physical contact with the prisoner. Do not give the prisoner anything. Do not take anything from the prisoner. If you need to show any paperwork to the prisoner then please hand it to an officer who will then in turn hand it to the prisoner for you. The same is true in reverse. Do you understand?” Cas said, staring Crowley down.

Crowley nodded. “Bloody hell. This is worse than an Alpha prison.” he muttered.

Cas looked at him curiously, his head tilted slightly. “Have you never had an Omega client before?”

Crowley shook his head. “No. I specialise in contracts, business and such. Not criminal law. And technically there are no Omega clients. I would represent the Alpha of the Omega in question. It’s all bullshit of course, but it’s where we are.”

Cas looked at Crowley oddly. Maybe the man wasn’t as unsympathetic as he first appeared.

“ You don’t agree with it?” Cas asked before he could stop himself.

Crowley shrugged. “I don’t get paid to have an opinion on it. I have to work within the laws of the land. Same as you do. Whether I like it or not, the law is the law. I can stretch the interpretation as far as I can, but I can’t break it.” he said.

Cas gave him a considering look. He still didn’t like the man. But had a sliver of respect for him. Even if he would be dealing with him on Michael’s behalf very soon. He used his keycard and opened the door.

The room was empty apart from a wide table and chairs in the centre. The entire room was split down the middle by a thick red line. Even the table was sectioned into two halves by red tape. Two large vents in the ceiling filtered out scents so that the Alpha scent wouldn’t be transferred and taken back to the medical wing where it would possibly affect any vulnerable Omegas.

“ Take a seat on this side of the line. I’ll radio to let them know you’re ready.” Cas said gesturing to the table.

Cas radioed through that they were ready and that Dean could be brought through the other door. He felt nervous, he hadn’t seen Dean for days, the memory of the last time they spoke was still too fresh and his heart raced as he heard the door begin to open.

Dean stepped in, led by another officer. He looked tired but good. His hair was fluffy and his stubble was thick. He was still a little pale, but his eyes were bright.

“ Take a seat please, Dean.” Cas said, a lot calmer than he felt. If Crowley was here for what he thought, he would have to contain his excitement for later.

Dean sat down, a frown on his face. “You’re the guy who came down to the holding cells at my trial. You appealed to the judge on my behalf.” he said, looking confused.

Crowley nodded. “On your Alpha’s behalf. But, essentially the same thing according to the law.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “What do you want? I’m sick, man. I should be in bed. My trial is over. I’m just over two months away from completing my sentence. So what could you possibly want?” Dean said, looking irritated.

Crowley opened his briefcase and took out a file. Cas watched him like a hawk.

Crowley opened the file. “Okay, so as you know earlier on this year, your father signed a contract stating that you would mate my client and have his children. Yes?” he asked looking at Dean.

Dean nodded. “Yeah.” he said sullenly.

“ Now, due to your recent unfortunate diagnosis, my client has decided to revisit the terms of the contract. As you are no longer able to hold up the terms, my client wishes to dissolve the contract and absolve himself of any responsibility to you. I have contacted your familial Alpha, Sam Winchester, and he is in agreement to take on the responsibility in his father's place, due to his incarceration. My client has agreed to waive the cost of the transfer entirely and absorb the costs incurred, as long as all parties involved sign an NDA. Your familial Alpha agreed to this visit to inform you in person.”

Dean just stared ahead. “What? So now I’m tainted, he wants to distance himself from the dirty little Omega?” he sneered. “He ruined my fucking life and now he gets to skip off over the horizon and I’m left with nothing?”

Crowley blinked. “I was authorised to negotiate a small compensation with your familial Alpha, Sam, to expedite this process. But he insisted I should hear  _ your _ opinion on what that compensation would look like.” he said, taking out a pad and pen and handing it to Cas who handed it to Dean. “Write down what you think would be adequate and we can begin negotiations.”

Dean gave Crowley a suspicious look. Then wrote down a number, he pushed it towards Cas who tried not to balk at the amount he saw written on the pad. He handed it to Crowley who didn’t even flinch.

“ I think that’s a reasonable amount.” he agreed, not bothering to negotiate at all. “I’ll have my client cut a check for the full amount, payable to your father’s account once the NDA’s are signed.” Crowley said. Putting the pad back into the briefcase and taking out what looked like a standard non-disclosure agreement.

Dean looked unsure for a second, then a knowing look came over his face. “He told you to pay whatever it took to get rid of me, didn’t he? Damn, I should have asked for more.” he said shaking his head.

Crowley merely shrugged. “I think our negotiations were more than fair, you asked for an outrageous payday, I gradually beat you down to a more reasonable amount. It was a hard sell, but you eventually agreed. We all got what we want, the end.” he said with a wink. “Now, if you would kindly sign this document. I advise you to read it carefully even though it is a standard NDA. It basically means you cannot discuss my client or refer to any relationship between the two of you with anyone. Your brother signed a copy of the same agreement. I can show you, if you need to see it.”

Crowley went to hand the contract to Dean and Cas grabbed his wrist in an iron grip before his hand could cross the red line. Cas shook his head and gave him a hard stare, Crowley looked abashed. “I apologise, Officer Novak. I forgot for a moment. I’ll do my best to remember going forward.” he said, handing the contract to Cas instead.

Cas took it and handed it to Dean, who began reading it immediately. Cas couldn’t help but admire how calm he was being. Since he had come into the room, he hadn’t acknowledged Cas at all. But he knew Dean was playing a part. He realised that Crowley too, was playing a part. They all were. Not one person in this room was being completely honest.

Dean frowned. “Jesus fuck. Legalese much? How the fuck do I even begin to understand this bullshit without a law degree?” he complained.

Crowley gave him a knowing look. “I think we both know you understand a lot more than you let on, Dean. Don’t undersell yourself too much, Darling. _Y_ _ ou _ might end up believing it.” he warned.

Cas could feel his heart beating out of his chest as Dean narrowed his eyes at the lawyer.

“ Fine. Gimme a pen. I’ll sign. I just want this over with.” Dean said gruffly.

Crowley smiled and handed Cas a pen to give to Dean. It was black enamel and what looked to be real gold and looked extremely expensive.

Dean signed the document and pushed it towards Cas. “So, this means he has to leave me alone now, right? He can’t contact me either?”

Crowley nodded. “Yes. Although it’s more  _ won’t _ than  _ can’t. _ And understand, the perks you’ve enjoyed in here will come to a stop too. No more line of credit, no more repatriations. You get in any more trouble and you’ll be paying them off yourself. From now on he will deny all knowledge of your existence. He was prepared to overlook your own little brush with the law, but your father's subsequent high profile arrest and your unfortunate diagnosis was more than he could reasonably ignore. Now all that is left to do is wish you well for the future. I’d shake your hand, but your guard dog here might bite my arm off.” he said drily, side-eyeing Cas.

Dean chuckled and looked at Cas for the first time since he had entered the room. “Yeah, it’s pretty strict in here, being a prison and all.” he replied with a shrug.

Cas huffed a laugh. “I don’t know. Sometimes we just make it up as we go.” he said winking at Dean, who smiled, hearing their code for how they felt about each other seemed to give him a boost.

Crowley stood up. “Well, okay then. I’ll be on my way. I’ll consider the contracted agreement dissolved as soon as the check clears. Good luck, Dean.” he said, placing everything into his briefcase.

Cas gave Dean a look. “Dean. The pen. Return it. Now.” he warned.

Dean blushed and took the pen out of his sleeve and placed it on the table.

Cas rolled his eyes and handed it to Crowley with a pointed look. “Might want to keep a closer eye on things, Fergus.” he said dryly.

Crowley took the pen and placed it in his pocket, shaking his head and muttering under his breath.

Cas huffed a laugh. “I’ll take you back to the main office. Let me just arrange for Dean’s escort to take him back to the medical wing.” he said reaching for his radio.

Dean sat at the table, he was shaking and trying to hide it. Cas called for Dean’s escort and moments later the other door opened and an officer stepped in followed by a nurse who approached Dean looking concerned.

“ Is everything alright?” Cas asked the nurse, looking worried.

The nurse looked at him and smiled. “Everything’s fine. I just need to verify he’s alright before I can take him back. Just a precaution.” she said handing Dean a blocker spray.

Cas realised they were making sure he wouldn’t take the scent of unmated Alpha back with him. They must have a vulnerable Omega in the medical wing so they were being extra cautious.

“ I don’t know why I have to stay in medical now anyway.” Dean grumbled. “It’s only one more night, and I’m fine.” he said.

Cas knew Dean had said it for his benefit. He was telling Cas he’d see him tomorrow.

“ You are not “fine”. You’re shaking. We need to make sure that you are stable enough before you go back. And not just physically. You’ve had a traumatic experience. We need to make sure you won’t harm yourself or others. You can deal with one more night for that.” the nurse scolded as Cas and Crowley moved towards the door.

Cas opened the door and ushered Crowley out into the corridor, cutting off the conversation Dean and the nurse were having.

“ It’s a sad business, this. It’s not my favourite part of the job, that’s for sure. But something tells me Dean will be okay. He’s a survivor that one.” Crowley commented as he followed Cas back the way they had come.

Cas didn’t comment, he guided Crowley back to the CCTV station so he could collect his things.

“ I had a feeling about you too, you know?” Crowley continued when they resumed walking.

Cas gave him an incredulous look.

Crowley sighed. “I know you don’t believe me, but I didn’t enjoy serving you those papers. I was just doing my job. There are days when I hate my job. But then there are days when I can “negotiate” a deal that is decidedly  _ not _ in my employers favour. So, I tell myself it all balances out in the end. It helps me sleep at night.” he said, sounding tired.

Cas suddenly felt a little sorry for Crowley. He seemed to have at least some self awareness. He had a feeling the man didn’t like Michael one bit. But then again, he still chose to work for him, so maybe he didn’t feel too sorry for him after all.

“ So you are a lawyer with a conscience?” Cas asked, rolling his eyes. His expression screamed,  _ spare me. _

Crowley chuckled. “That’s probably a bit of an oxymoron. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that, no. But I do love a little bit of karmic justice. Don’t you?” he asked.

Cas snapped and grabbed Crowley by his expensive jacket, almost lifting him off the ground. “So Michael not getting what he wants for once is “karmic justice?” I’m not sure your argument holds merit, _Crowley._ Considering this is the first time I can think of that Michael didn’t get his way, _exactly_ as he planned it. I wouldn’t call it “karmic justice” unless he was hit with a fucking comet, while under attack from a swarm of bees.” he spat angrily as he slammed Crowley up against the wall roughly, sick of the sound of the lawyers voice.

Crowley looked taken aback. “Still some lingering resentment I see. Okay then. I’ll do you a favour and pretend this conversation never happened. Then Michael won’t know exactly how much you hate him. Okay?” he said, shakily.

Cas let Crowley go and stood back while the lawyer straightened his clothing and picked up his dropped briefcase.

“ Michael can kiss my ass.” Cas said coldly.

Crowley took a deep breath and nodded. “Fair enough, mate.” he said to Cas' back as he walked away.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> I'll start by saying sorry for the cliffhanger and a reminder that there is no major character death in my stories and they always have happy endings. That said, trigger warnings for violence and serious injury to main characters. 
> 
> *throws the chapter and flees*

**Chapter Sixteen. A train coming in the opposite direction.**

  
  


Cas opened his front door to see Gabe waving a bottle of champagne. “Come on! Let me in and we can start the celebrations with this bad boy!” he said excitedly.

Cas grinned and shook his head. “Don’t you think it’s a little early for that? Dean should be here before we celebrate.” he reminded him.

Gabe pushed past him into the house. “We’ll do it then too. We’ll throw a fuckin’ party. I’ll hire a skywriter, strippers, a fuckin’ petting zoo if you want. But we’re drinking this now.” he insisted.

Cas chuckled as his brother went into the kitchen to greet Sam and Eileen.

“ Hey there, Sam-a-lam! I doubt Cassie has any champagne glasses, so grab some coffee mugs and we’ll have a toast.” he crowed, ripping off the foil of the bottle.

Sam looked to Cas for permission and when Cas shrugged and nodded, reached into the cabinet for the mugs.

Gabe popped the cork with a dramatic flourish and grinned. “Before we make a toast I just want to say it’s a bit of a double celebration.” he said, his cheeks a little pink.

“ Oh, what’s that?” Cas asked, curious.

“ Well, my beloved mate told me today, that I’m gonna be a dad!” Gabe burst out, brimming over with joy.

Cas’ jaw dropped and he hugged his brother tightly as Sam and Eileen offered congratulations. He slapped his brother on the back with tears in his eyes.

“ You’re gonna be godfather, right?” Gabe asked, as they separated.

Cas nodded, almost too choked to speak. “Absolutely, Of course I will!” he said, tears filling his eyes. “How is Kali?” he asked.

“ She’s a little sick, but still the most beautiful Omega I ever laid eyes on and she smells amazing.” Gabe said emotionally. “She’s telling her parents right now, but she approves of you as Godfather. So I figured it was alright to tell you.”

Sam took the bottle of Champagne from Gabe and poured a little in each mug, handing one to each person. “To Dean and Kali!” he said happily lifting it up in toast.

Everyone repeated it before taking a drink.

“ Sorry I kinda hijacked your celebration, but I’m so fuckin happy I don’t care!” Gabe said, grinning widely.

Sam laughed. “It’s fine, we’ll celebrate properly once Dean is out. He should be here for a proper celebration anyway.” he said.

“ That’s what I said!” Cas and Gabe said simultaneously, looking at each other in surprise.

Sam and Eileen laughed.

Gabe chattered excitedly as Cas ordered food. He didn’t think his cooking was up to a meal for four people. He could cook five or six things really well, but he wasn’t about to serve omelettes for dinner, and it was a little late to start a pot roast.

They drank the champagne and moved onto beer when the food arrived. They discussed plans for the future over egg rolls and fought over the last dumpling as Sam frowned at his phone.

Sam excused himself from the table as Gabe was telling a joke and stepped outside to make a call.

Cas was laughing as Eileen mocked Gabe playfully as she swiped the last dumpling and shoved it into her mouth whole.

“ Fuck!” Sam raged outside on the deck.

The group fell silent, Eileen looked confused at the concerned faces.

Cas stood up as Sam walked in looking furious. “What happened?” he asked worriedly.

Sam indicated his phone. “That was Dad’s lawyer. There’s something we forgot about when I accepted the money for Dean.” he said looking pale. “It went into Dad’s account, as he signed the original contract.”

Gabe closed his eyes and breathed out heavily. “Oh shit.” he muttered with a look of realisation on his face.

Cas looked at Sam, praying he was wrong about the bad feeling he suddenly had.

Sam looked crushed. “Dad used it to make bail. He’s out.”

  
  


************

  
  


John rode the bus towards town. His belongings were in a clear plastic bag next to him on the seat and were a dead giveaway that he’d just got out of jail. Everyone who got on the bus gave him a wide berth as he stewed angrily.

Neither of his good for nothing sons had been willing to help him out. Sam had flat out refused to find the bail money. The house wasn’t worth enough to use for collateral, and his accounts were bone dry until a million dollars had suddenly been deposited. If it wasn’t for his idiot Omega son getting himself infected, he never would have gotten out.

John was pissed that he had wasted the opportunity to be a rich man’s Omega. He couldn’t even do that right and John had handed it to him on a plate! He was fucking worthless now. No Alpha would want an infertile Omega. He figured that Dean had already got what he deserved, the fuckin’ dumb bitch.

Now all he had to do was work out who framed him. He had hazy memories of that night, but enough to know he hadn’t committed the crime he was going to jail for. He had six weeks before the trial and sentencing to figure out who did it, and get his revenge.

He had a vague memory of a dark haired guy punching him in the face as he sat in the car. The guy had really blue eyes. He had to be a fuckin’ pussy to punch a guy while he was incapacitated. He never caught the guy’s scent, but he had Alpha strength and he punched like an anvil. He figured the guy had to be a pro to be able to frame him to the extent he had. John had worked with a few shady people on the wrong side of the law in his time and pissed off a couple of them. He’d start there. The money Sam had gotten from Dean’s rich bastard Alpha would come in handy getting the right people to talk.

But first, he needed to set his good for nothing Alpha son right. Sam should know that family came first, his new Omega probably had his balls in her purse, he didn’t know what he saw in the defective bitch. He didn’t buy the true mate bullshit for a second. She just appealed to his bleeding heart liberal sensibilities.

Sam needed a lesson in family values. The little bastard wasn’t even living in the house John had worked so hard for. Like he was too good for it or something. He had an apartment downtown above a fuckin’ coffee shop like a goddamn hipster.

Yeah. Sam would be getting a surprise visit from his dear old Dad. One he would never forget.

  
  


************

  
  


Sam had almost been paralysed by fear knowing his father was out of prison. Only knowing that Dean was safely out of his reach made him feel slightly better. John couldn’t physically get to Dean and there wasn’t a lot he could do in six weeks that Sam couldn’t undo once John went back to jail.

But he knew John would want revenge somehow. He knew there wasn’t a lot that was off limits to John, especially since he’d seen the file Gabe had on him. The awful things he had done to those Omegas sickened him. He pulled Eileen in closer to him at night since seeing the photos and almost never left her side.

He considered sending Eileen away for a while until John was safely behind bars again, but she would have none of it. She had flat out refused to leave her Alpha or their home. Even when Cas had kindly offered them his spare room to stay in and Gabe had offered the same.

Sam watched the street from his apartment window as Eileen made coffee in the tiny kitchenette. Cas was on his way over with Gabe to discuss plans for the big move to Canada. Cas hadn’t technically presented yet and he couldn’t apply for a new passport until he had, so all they could do is make sure the rest of the paperwork was in order. Sam also had to get a new passport, needing to add Eileen  _ and _ Dean to his, his father’s release had forced a delay on that as Dean was still on his Dad’ passport even though he’d never taken Dean anywhere here in town, let alone out of the country.

He heard banging and a groan of frustration from Eileen. He looked over as she banged on the coffee maker with the flat of her hand trying to get it to work. He huffed a laugh and went to help her. The coffee maker was junk and barely worked. But until recently, Sam hadn’t been able to afford one. They had hardly touched the advance Gabe had given them for the move, but maybe they should treat themselves to a decent coffee maker. In the meantime, Sam figured they lived above a coffee shop for a reason. He pressed a kiss to Eileen’s head and grabbed his keys from the counter.

“ I’ll go grab some coffees from downstairs for now. Maybe later we can go get a new one.” he signed as he spoke and pointed to the coffee maker. Eileen grinned in response and nodded, giving up on the thing and pushing it to the back of the counter in disgust.

Sam chuckled and patted his pocket to make sure he had his wallet before opening the door and taking the stairs down to the street. He figured Eileen would be safe as he was just downstairs. 

As he stepped onto the street he spotted Cas and Gabe on the opposite side of the street, they had obviously been to the bakery down the other end of the block. Gabe was carrying a box with the name of the bakery on it and Cas was looking in a shop window, pointing something out to Gabe who looked at it and laughed.

Sam waved to get their attention and Gabe waved back. Cas turned around with a confused expression that broke into a smile. Sam indicated he was going into the coffee shop and saw Gabe and Cas nod as they prepared to cross the street.

Sam waited, watching as Cas’ expression changed again. He looked puzzled for a moment and then horror crossed his features as he looked at something behind Sam.

Sam turned just in time for the brick to hit him in the forehead, knocking him to his knees. He didn’t even see the punch that followed and he fell forward onto his arms, his vision filled with blood. His head spun and he felt like he was going to pass out. He flopped onto his side as his ears rang and he struggled not to vomit.

He heard snarling and screams, and glass smashing but couldn’t seem to get up or see what was going on. He heard Gabe screaming “Jesus Christ Cas! You’re gonna kill him!” and wondered for a second if it was Cas that had hit him, then he remembered that Cas had been crossing the street when he was hit. He heard more screams. Growls filled the air as he felt someone trying to lift him from the ground.

“ C’mon Sam. You need to move, Cas has completely lost his shit. I need to get you out of here.” Gabe’s voice begged him. He sounded terrified.

Sam did his best to do just that, trying to get the blood out of his eyes so he could see. His legs wouldn’t obey him properly and he staggered, falling sideways as Gabe screamed again when the growls and snarls ended with a sickening crack.

  
  


************

  
  


Cas spotted a baby name book in the window of the book shop and nudged Gabe.

“ Hey, you should get something like that so Kali at least has a chance of having a child not named after an Angel.” he quipped.

Gabe burst out laughing. “Good idea.” he said, turning and waving at someone across the street.

Cas turned and realised Sam was standing outside the coffee shop, indicating he was going in.

He and Gabe moved to cross the street and Cas saw a man stand up from a table in the window and step out the door of the coffee shop just behind Sam. He bent down, picked something up and stood up with his arm raised above his head, the half brick in his hand aimed at Sam’s unsuspecting and unprotected head.

Cas watched as if it was in slow motion. Sam turned his head and took the impact of the half brick to his forehead, blood pouring down his face instantly. The man behind Sam staggered and dropped the brick as Sam fell onto his knees. He tried to kick Sam, but missed and made a swing for him instead, punching him in the side of the head.

Cas felt fury well up and his canines extended. He knew this could only be John Winchester, the man who thought nothing of beating his own children. Of hitting his own son with a brick when he was defenceless. He imagined that it was Dean on the floor and saw red.

He ran at John as he aimed a kick at Sam’s prone body. As the older Alpha spotted him he screamed “YOU!”, clearly recognising him as Cas leapt through the air, catching John in the chest and taking him down, both of them rolling from the impact. People scattered, screaming as the two Alphas charged each other, canines flashing and snarling and growling at each other.

Cas grabbed John and threw him against the window of the coffee shop, the glass shattering into tiny cubes and raining down on the people hiding inside. He felt nothing but pure rage at the man struggling to get up from the floor of the coffee shop. 

He heard Gabe screaming at him, trying to get him to stop but ignored him as he pushed a table out of the way to get at John who was scrambling away from him across the floor. He stalked towards him, growling.

The people in the coffee shop were screaming and falling over each other to get out through the now broken window. John crawled over to a table to pull himself up and he stood up just as Cas reached him. They grappled, knocking over tables and chairs, cups and mugs shattering as they hit the ground.

Cas grunted as John punched him in ribs, the pain breaking through the haze slightly. He pushed John up against the counter making the older Alpha gasp as one of his own ribs snapped.

John shoved Cas away from himself and brought his hand up in front of him. He had a large wicked looking knife, half of the blade was already bloody as he aimed a slash at Cas’ chest. Cas dodged it, his feet slipping on the broken glass and he almost lost his balance as he felt a sharp pain in his side as he twisted away.

John lunged for him again, seeing an opportunity as Cas was momentarily off balance, but he too slipped on the broken glass and he snarled as Cas grabbed his forearm with both hands, twisting his arm and making him drop the knife as he bent it backwards. Cas threw him to the ground and kicked him, then leapt onto him, pinning him to the ground by his throat.

He squeezed, watching John begin to panic as his airway was cut off. John was clawing at Cas’s arms, trying to prise his hands from his neck, his face going red. As John’s struggles grew weaker, Cas felt his own strength begin to ebb, spots appeared in his vision and he realised he was finding it harder to breathe himself. John stopped struggling and went limp.

Cas took his hands from his throat and rolled off the older man and staggered to his feet. He looked down at himself and realised he’d been stabbed in the side. He went to lift his shirt to look and heard Gabe scream out a warning.

He turned to see John standing behind him with the knife raised ready to plunge into his back. He tried to bring his hands up to protect himself but knew he was too slow to prevent the knife going into his chest.

Then just as John began to bring the knife down, there was a sickening crack and John staggered forwards before falling to the ground, landing on his face, the knife falling from his hand and sliding across the floor.

Cas looked up to see Eileen standing where John had been seconds before, the baseball bat she was holding bloody where she had hit her father-in-law to prevent him from killing Cas. She was shaking with anger.

Cas shakily smiled at her and reached for the bat, but she threw it away from her and ran to Sam, who was slumped in the street, unconscious.

Cas swayed as he pressed a shaking hand to his side. He staggered to the broken window, hearing sirens as police cars screeched to a stop outside. Two police officers grabbed him and pushed him to the ground, face down with his hands behind his back as they handcuffed him.

Gabe was shouting at the police officers to let him go, that he was injured. But the cops ignored him, spraying Cas with a sickly sweet smelling substance that Cas recognised as Rage-X. A spray that cops and security used to subdue and calm an Alpha who had gone into feral rage.

He was confused for a moment, until he realised that was what he just did. He had seen Sam being attacked and had gone after John in a rage. He groaned as the cops pulled him to his knees, the pain in his side had spread across his chest and breathing was getting very difficult, he could taste blood in his mouth.

The cops pulled him up to his feet and he coughed explosively, blood spattering down his chin as he gasped for breath. Gabe was screaming incoherently now, trying to get to him, two more cops were holding him back as he struggled.

“ Shit, he’s really hurt. Help me get him to the ambulance.” One of the cops said to his partner.

“ Oh, Jesus. He’s been stabbed, looks like the lung.” The other cop said, hurriedly undoing Cas’ handcuffs as Cas began to sag and drop to the ground, the cops breaking his fall. He fell on his side, the cops shouting for help above him.

Cas saw the paramedics running towards him in slow motion, the flashing lights of the emergency vehicles creating a strobe effect. He closed his eyes and felt himself slipping away.


	17. Separate measures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> I suppose I should feel bad about the last chapter, but I don't. (For mine is an evil laugh! Mwahahaha!)
> 
> I guess I should preface this with a disclaimer. My husband actually suffered the same injury as Cas (Tension pneumothorax) so I know a little about it. He had the same surgeries as Cas, although my husbands recovery was a lot more complicated as he was suffering from multiple infections as well. Cas is lucky to be alive (and so is my husband) 
> 
> My hubby wasn't stabbed though, he had what is known as Spontaneous pneumothorax - basically he had pneumonia (we thought it was flu) and it weakened his lung to the point where it tore (an inch and a half rip in the top of his lung!) Every time he breathed in, more air got trapped inside the chest, crushing the other lung and his heart. Unless treated very quickly, it's fatal. My hubby was saved by a paramedic nicknamed "Thug". I still see him around sometimes, and thank him every time. Hubby is absolutely fine now, a little limited in some things, but otherwise healthy.
> 
> Although it happened in different ways, the result is the same, Cas went through all of that. He was minutes from death. His recovery will be faster than my husbands was, no pneumonia or infections to complicate things. 
> 
> A basic description of the surgeries Cas went through is in the end notes. No gory details, I promise. 
> 
> Comments and kudos are welcome, if not outright encouraged.

**Chapter Seventeen. Separate measures.**

  
  


Cas woke in a dimly lit hospital room. He felt odd, like he was too heavy. He felt a tickle underneath his nose and tried to scratch at it, but his arm felt like lead and he seemed to be restricted in some way.

“ Hey!” he heard a voice, it was familiar. “Hey, kiddo. Welcome back.”

He turned his head to see Gabe standing next to the bed. He gave him a confused smile as he focused on him more clearly.

“ There you are. It’s good to see those baby blues again. You scared the shit out of me.” Gabe said, he looked like he’d been crying. “You’ve been in and out for most of the last couple of days, but this is the first time you’ve been properly lucid.”

Cas tried to comfort his brother, reaching for him, but once again, his arms only went so far before something stopped them.

“ Sorry, bro. No hugs just yet. They’ve put you in restraints for now. You’re still technically under arrest for going into feral rage.” Gabe explained. “The cops are just outside, so I haven’t got long. I told them that you spontaneously presented during the fight, okay? You saw someone attacked by a feral Alpha and you tried to defend them, alright? You weren’t aware of what was happening at all. So you tell them that and everything will be okay.” Gabe said quickly, his voice pitched low so the cops standing outside his room couldn’t hear.

“ Wha..?” Cas said, his mouth dry and clicking as he indicated the bed and himself.

“ The bastard had a knife, Cas. He stabbed you and it got you in the lung, which collapsed. They had to operate to repair the lung and the fucking thing wouldn’t stop collapsing again, so they had to do another procedure to make sure it wouldn’t, they literally stuck your lung to your chest wall. They did it with a camera, so you’ve only got a couple of tiny scars.” he said, indicating to the large chest tube coming out the side of Cas’ chest to a clear plastic bucket on the floor that had a small amount of blood in the bottom.

“ That’s basically so the air in your chest cavity can come out. It’s to drain all of the blood too.” Gabe explained. “I might be getting some of this wrong, but forgive me, I’ve been awake for forty eight hours.” he said, tiredly.

Gabe picked up the water from the table beside the bed and guided it to Cas’ mouth.

“ Sip, don’t gulp. Or the nurse will put me in the bed next to yours.” he warned.

Cas sipped the water gratefully, it was warm and slightly metallic, like it had been sitting out too long. But it was the best thing he’d ever tasted. His tongue came unglued from the roof of his mouth and his throat was a little less sore.

“ Sam? How is Sam?” he asked, his voice raspy.

Gabe smiled. “Kid’s got a hard head. No fracture, but a concussion and a few stitches. Major headache. Eileen has been sneaking me updates. We meet at the coffee machine and swap info. We’re not supposed to know each other, remember?”

Cas nodded. “What about John?” he asked, grimacing as pain lanced across his chest.

Gabe looked pissed. “Somehow, the bastard is still alive, but he’s in a bad way. He’s in a coma and they’re not sure if he’ll ever wake up. He was drunk, the witnesses in the coffee shop said he had been adding whiskey from a flask to his coffee all morning and snapping at the barista. According to them, he was downright abusive to the waitress. From what they saw, a feral Alpha just attacked someone for no reason.”

Cas growled. “Did Eileen get in any trouble for hitting him?” he hated the thought of the Omega getting arrested.

Gabe shook his head. “Nah, she saved your life, bro. Every witness told the same story. She hit him once, then went to Sam. The baseball bat wasn’t even hers, she found it behind the counter. I have to say, that girl has balls of steel. To go into that coffee shop with two feral Alphas trying to kill each other, alone and unarmed? I’d say she’s crazy, but definitely not to her face.” he chuckled.

Cas huffed a laugh and groaned in pain. “Don’t make me laugh.” he whined. “How long will I be in here?”

Gabe shrugged. “Probably a couple of weeks. Oh, and you can never go scuba diving, ever. The surgeon said something about pressurised air and that it’s a bad thing.” he warned. “I guess that means flights too.”

Cas sighed, wincing as he took a large breath. “I guess I’m driving to Canada.” he said calmly. Then he looked panicked. “Shit! Dean!” he felt guilty for not thinking of him until now.

Gabe grimaced. “Sam can’t go to see him until Saturday if he gets out of here in time. And you can’t go anywhere near the place again. Your presentation is big news. I’m talking national news. The press are outside the hospital, they have been since someone leaked the story.” he said, sadly. “Your boss called me to wish you well and essentially fired you. They’ll give you three months severance pay and you’ll also get some money back from your pension, but that’s it.”

Cas looked horrified. “But I didn’t get to say goodbye!” he said, his scent taking on a distressed tone. “I have a gift for him, it was symbolic. A promise that we’d always be together.”

Gabe tried to sooth him. “Shhh, calm down kiddo. The cops are right outside and the nurse will be in here to have my head if you get upset.” he said.

“ Do you think I’ll go to jail?” Cas asked, as if it had suddenly occurred to him.

Gabe chuckled. “Nah, as the witnesses tell it, you’re a big damn hero for taking down a feral Alpha and getting wounded in the process. The police only arrested you as a precaution because you went batshit crazy. My guess is they’ll ask you a few questions and then you’ll be formally released.” he said, patting Cas’ hand comfortingly.

“ But I went feral too.” Cas said worriedly.

Gabe shook his head. “No, bro. You  _ presented,  _ due to a feral Alpha attacking. Something about the danger kick started your latent presentation. You actually had no idea what was happening to you. One minute you were walking the street, minding your own business and… Boom! Sudden presentation time!” he said, looking at him pointedly. “You couldn’t have prevented it, it happened under extreme stress.” he said, leading him.

“ Was John actually feral? He seemed drunk, but in control.” Cas whispered.

Gabe shrugged. “Maybe not at first, but the doc’s tell me that the amount of alcohol in his blood would have lowered his threshold. And from what Eileen tells me, he was drunk most of the time. So he was halfway there already, when he saw Sam he just… flipped.” he said quietly.

Cas nodded. “I just couldn't believe someone could do that to their own child. He hit Sam in the face with a brick! I knew he’d been violent to them in the past, but that was just… cruel… and cowardly. He would have killed him. Then I imagined Dean lying there and…” he trailed off, looking pissed.

“ Chill, bro. You’re not wearing blockers now, we can all smell how pissed off you are. The cops won’t take off the cuffs until they see you calm and in control.” Gabe reminded him.

Cas tried to take a deep breath and gasped in agony.

Gabe winced in sympathy. “Okay, I’m gonna call the doctor, there’ll be one outside. The whole hospital have been up here to gawk at the guy who spontaneously presented. It’s why I closed the blinds. Luckily, I already sprang for a private room. I can get you moved to a private hospital in a couple of days, but you’re too sick to go anywhere right now.” he said sympathetically. “But once the doc comes in the cops are gonna wanna talk, just giving you a warning.”

Cas nodded. “It’s okay. I can handle it.” he said. “My nose itches, so the sooner I get the cuffs off, the better.”

Gabe rolled his eyes and then scratched Cas’ nose. “Jesus, this is where I draw the line. I am not holding your dick when you pee.” he joked.

Cas looked disgusted. “I believe I’ll manage.” he said dryly.

Gabe just laughed. “Not for a couple of days yet, kiddo. Where do you think the other tube goes?” he said smugly.

Cas looked at another tube that went under the sheet that covered him and he looked a little disturbed. “Does that go where I think it goes?” he asked weakly.

Gabe nodded. “Uh, huh. Straight into little Cas. Although I overheard the nurses talking and apparently you are as blessed as I am in that department. Mazel Tov, bro.” he chuckled.

Cas blushed bright red. “Gabe.” he scolded.

Gabe just burst out laughing. “I’m just saying, I overheard the phrase “horse cock” and thought they were talking about me, but then your name was mentioned and I noped out.”

Cas was surprised into a laugh that almost crippled him with the wave of pain that followed.

Gabe looked guilty. “Sorry! Sorry! My bad. I’ll go find the doctor.” he said, rushing to the door and pulling it open.

Cas could see several uniformed police officers standing around as well as a lot more nurses and doctors than was probably strictly necessary in a department this small.

Gabe came rushing back with two very eager looking doctors, one of whom looked very familiar.

“ Dr Balthazar!” Cas exclaimed, suddenly very scared. Dr Balthazar knew that he had presented long before today. Everything was about to unravel.

Gabe paled as he recognised the name. “Uh, Doc. Could you step outside a moment?” he said, urgently.

Dr Balthazar just gave him an odd look. “But my patient is in here. I believe the usual procedure is that  _ you _ step outside so I can examine my patient.” he said pointedly.

Gabe looked at Cas who was trying not to panic. “I’m concerned. I believe my brother needs a different doctor.” he said, stepping nearer to Cas protectively.

Dr Balthazar stood his ground. “Your brother is already my patient and has been for many years. I have your brother's best interests at heart, believe me.” he said, looking at Cas and winking so quickly that Cas almost missed it.

Cas turned to Gabe. “It’s fine, Gabe. I can handle it.”

Gabe gave Dr Balthazar a hard look. “Okay, but I’ll be right outside. Just holler if you need me.” he said, reaching for his phone. He leaned into Cas and whispered. “I’ve got my lawyer on speed dial. I can have her here in half an hour.”

Cas smiled. “It’s okay. Isn’t it Dr Balthazar?” he said pointedly.

Dr Balthazar nodded. “Of course.”

Gabe relaxed a little. He walked to the door and stepped out, closing it behind him.

The second doctor cleared his throat. “I am Dr Joshua. I was your surgeon. I see you already know my colleague.” he said, introducing himself.

Cas nodded his head to acknowledge them both.

Dr Joshua went through the particulars of Cas’ injury and the surgery. He then detailed Cas’ expected recovery and finally, he asked if Cas had any questions.

When Cas shook his head. Dr Joshua excused himself, wishing Cas a speedy recovery.

As the door closed behind him, Cas looked at Dr Balthazar suspiciously. “So, you say you have my best interests at heart, can you tell me what you believe they are?” he asked.

Dr Balthazar narrowed his eyes. “I know what your brother told the hospital and the police is different from what you told me before. The 24 hour news is saying that you work at an Omega Prison. Do you realise how illegal that is? How dangerous? Why would you do such a thing?” he said, looking pissed.

“ I had my reasons.” Cas said, quietly.

“ That is my concern. There are many vulnerable Omegas inside that prison. I need you to tell me the truth. I deserve an explanation, so I can make my decision on what my next step will be.” Dr Balthazar said angrily.

Cas sighed, he might as well tell the man the truth. “Most of what I told you… was the truth. My brother will absolutely be a nightmare… and I was struggling with my presentation. But, I left some things out.” He took a few breaths, wincing as each one hurt.

“ My true mate is one of the short term prisoners. He was caught... fleeing the country when an Alpha bought him... from his father. I presented... when we met... on his first day in Gen pop. We resisted mating on the spot. We had to find a way to get his Alpha to... let him go. I won't… go into detail...about what we did. We were successful... and I planned to leave the prison next week. We’re going to go to Canada... so we can live in peace.” Cas confessed, short of breath.

Dr Balthazar's eyes were wide as he absorbed the whole story.

“ So, now you know. This incident isn’t connected, I guess what you do next... is out of my hands. But I can at least limit the damage... to just myself if you choose to report me.” Cas said, breathlessly.

Dr Balthazar, gestured to the chair next to the bed asking if he could sit in it. Cas nodded and Dr Balthazar sat down heavily. “Okay.” he said.

Cas looked confused. “What do you mean “Okay?” Are you going to report me, or not?”

Dr Balthazar sighed. “Not. God help me, but I am a sucker for a true mate love story.” he said, huffing a laugh.

Cas sighed with relief. “Good, that’s good.” he said,

Dr Balthazar held up a hand. “One condition. I want blood samples from both you and your mate. If I can find what triggers a true mate presentation, I can maybe help others.” he said. “I will not name either of you. It will be completely confidential. But I will publish my findings. The work is too important not to.” he said seriously.

“ I can’t agree on his behalf. But I can ask him. As for me, I’ll agree to those terms.” Cas said solemnly. He would do anything to protect Dean, even submit to more tests if necessary.

Dr Balthazar looked pleased. “Of course. Even if he doesn’t agree I can still make it work, it would just be better if I had both. And good for you, taking his feelings into account.” he praised.

Cas screwed up his face. “Don’t praise me for being a decent human being, it’s the bare minimum.” he said, annoyed.

Dr Balthazar sighed. “Unfortunately the world we live in doesn’t adhere to our way of thinking.” he said sadly.

Cas sighed. He was feeling tired and sore. He just wanted out of the cuffs so he could go back to sleep.

“ So, I still haven’t filed those forms. I’ll prepare a new set now and file them immediately. There is no avoiding it now, I’m afraid. Half of the world's press are outside the doors of the hospital. Late presentations are so rare that everyone wants to know about it. The hospital board are preparing a statement and I believe your brother Michael is doing the same.” he said with a shrug. “His lawyer contacted the hospital threatening to sue if we allowed a single member of the press into the building.”

Cas rolled his eyes. Michael had actually done him a favour even if he was only trying to cover his own ass.

“ Basically, my report is going to read that under extreme stress and under attack by a feral Alpha, your previously latent presentation possibly manifested itself as Alpha rage. I’m going to add that it is only a theory and that it could be a coincidence, I’ll hint at the possibility that you scented your true mate and being that a feral Alpha was attacking, your instinct was to protect, not to mate. I don’t want Unpresented people being attacked with the excuse that they were trying to force them to present. I will of course back up your claim that you were unaware of what was happening to you at the time.” Dr Balthazar said, with a smile.

Cas looked grateful. “Thank you.” he said, exhausted now.

“ Okay, I’ll be back tomorrow to do the official confirmation test. Rest up and get well, okay?” Dr Balthazar said kindly. “I just want to add, even with the drugs in your system and your injury, your scent is wonderful. It reminds me of my grandfather, I was rather fond of him.” he complimented.

Cas blushed.

“ Don’t be embarrassed. Now that you have a proper scent, people will compliment you all the time, get used to it.” Dr Balthazar chuckled. “You know, I am so very happy for you. Your mate must be special indeed if you were willing to take such a risk for them.”

Cas nodded. “He is. And so very beautiful, it’s not even bias talking. We plan to have half a dozen children.” he said with a soft smile.

Dr Balthazar smiled. “I fully expect updates on your life together. About all of those babies. I hear Sebastian is a very good name for a boy.” he laughed with a wink. “Of course, I may be a tiny bit biased as it’s also my first name.”

Cas looked thoughtful. “Sebastian Novak. I like it. Of course, De-, I mean, my Omega will have the option to veto. He’ll be the one doing all of the hard work bringing them into the world.” he said with a grin.

Dr Balthazar winced. “And we get to stand and watch on the sidelines. When I saw my daughters being born, I knew right then and there that Omegas were not the weaker gender.” he grimaced.

Cas nodded. He couldn’t agree more.

  
  


************

Dean laid in his nest, throwing a ball at the wall and catching it. He had been released back onto the wing this morning but was still excused from working in the laundry for another week. So he was bored waiting for Cas to start his shift. He was pissed because the batteries in his shitty little radio had run out while he’d been in the medical wing and he couldn’t replace them until he’d built up some credit at the commissary. Michael had cut him off completely and although that was awesome, he wished he’d had the forethought to get a crapload of stuff before he wouldn’t be able to afford it any more.

He heard someone walking along the terrace and smiled, thinking it was Cas. Instead Linda peered in the doorway with a hard look on her face.

Dean’s disappointment showed on his face for a moment before he recovered. “Hey, what’s up?” he asked casually.

Linda narrowed her eyes. “I’m only gonna ask once. Did you tell them where you got it?” she asked, threateningly.

Dean just stared at her. “Linda, I’ve got two months left on my sentence. Do you really think I want to spend them watchin’ my back? I told ‘em I was pretty free with my line of credit and I asked around for one, and one day it just appeared in my cell. So I have no idea where it came from.” he said, rolling the ball up and down his arm.

Linda relaxed slightly. “And they believed you?” she asked, still suspicious.

Dean shrugged. “Now, that I don’t know. All I can tell you is I didn’t tell ‘em anything and I ain’t gonna. Like I said, I ain’t stupid. I know you run shit in here and I ain’t about to upset the balance. Now my Alpha dropped my infertile ass, I just wanna finish up my time and get the fuck out of here.” he said, throwing the ball at the wall and catching it again.

Linda suddenly looked sympathetic. “So, it’s true. You can’t have kids?” she asked, her voice soft.

Dean nodded. “Yup. Just one more layer to the shit pile, I guess. I can’t even get my old job back ‘cause my boss is in jail for helpin’ me. My brother tells me he might be gettin’ out soon though on account of his bad health, so who knows?” he muttered.

Sam had finally managed to find someone who could tell them what was going on. Apparently Bobby had suffered a massive stroke, which is why he went radio silent. The tough old bastard had survived, but was now confined to a wheelchair. He was being considered for early release as the prison he was in didn’t have the facilities to care for him. Sam was working on it and hopefully they’d be able to look after Bobby the way he’d always looked after them. He knew Cas would be only too happy to open their home to the old man.

“ So this guy puts in motion a series of events that completely fuck up your life and then when it’s no longer convenient for him, he just steps away, leaving you with nothing?” Linda said, looking pissed on his behalf.

Dean nodded. There was no way he was telling Linda that he’d gotten a cool million dollars for his trouble. He knew Sam would look after the money for him until he got out. It was enough for him and Cas to start their new life together. Maybe they’d wait a year before starting that family, really take the chance to enjoy each other.

Linda leaned against the wall just inside the door. “I believe you didn’t rat Kevin out. So, I’m gonna do you a favour in return.” she said, looking outside the door to see if anyone was hanging around.

Dean sat up, a frown on his face. “Like what?” he asked.

Linda turned to look at him. “When you went to the medical wing, I had someone keep an eye on your cell. I wanted to know if you talked or if I needed to move things around so people didn’t get caught with contraband. But the P.O’s weren’t your only visitors. Someone else was in here snooping. I had my suspicions about them for a while, they were always too interested in you, asking questions, I saw them try to follow you a couple of times. Just thought you should know.” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Dean sighed. Of  _ course  _ he’d find out who the spy was once it didn’t matter. It was just his fucking luck. 

“Who?” he asked, frowning.

“ Alfie.” Linda said quietly. “Why would he be so interested in you?” she asked.

Dean shook his head and laughed bitterly as he thought of Alfies permanent earnest expression. “I knew the innocent act was fake. Fucker was spying for my Alpha.” he muttered. “I knew someone was spying on me, just not who. I thought it was you for a while.” he said gesturing to Linda.

Linda laughed. “Me? No way. The only Alpha I trusted was Kevin’s father and he had the audacity to die young and leave us unprotected. Alphas are nothing but trouble. I certainly wouldn’t do the dirty work for one.” she said, looking bitter.

“ I know a few good ones. They do exist. But yeah, on the whole they suck.” he said.

Linda suddenly stood up straighter as footsteps approached along the terrace. “Jesse, what are you doing back from class so early?” She asked as Jesse leaned in and waved at Dean who waved back.

“ Hey Dean, glad to see you back. Sorry about the uh.. you know.” he said awkwardly as he visibly cringed at his own tactlessness. 

Dean just grunted an answer and Jesse turned to Linda. “They’re short staffed, so they had to cut classes short. Apparently Novak didn’t show up for work this afternoon and he was supposed to organise the escorts. According to Ezra, the warden is worried ‘cause he’s usually so reliable you can set your watch by him.” he said with a shrug.

Dean tried not to react. But was instantly worried. He wondered what could have happened to make Cas miss work without calling out? He had no way of contacting him except through Sam. And without Cas here to give the ok, he couldn’t even call him.

“ Maybe he’s sick again?” Linda offered. “I don’t really care. Hopefully they fire him, I can barely move stuff around here without him tossing the cells and confiscating my shit. I’m trying to make a goddamn profit and sometimes I barely break even because he’s all up in my business.” she snapped.

Jesse grinned. “Come on, you love the challenge.” he teased and Linda laughed.

Dean had to resist making a nasty comment in defence of Cas, he still needed to keep things quiet and he wouldn’t last long in here defending a P.O.

Jesse noticed Dean’s radio wasn’t on and indicated to it. “Hey, did it break? It’s too quiet without your usual heavy rock playing. I’ve kind of gotten used to it to be honest.” he joked.

Dean shrugged. “Batteries died. Have to wait to get some new ones. I got cut off.” he explained.

Jesse frowned. “Well, that sucks. I’ll see if anyone has any and we can hang out with you in here, give you a proper welcome back to the block, yeah?” he cajoled.

Dean didn’t really feel like it, and he wanted to be alone in case Cas was just late and not missing work, but he didn’t know how to say no. He nodded and Jesse grinned and dashed off.

Linda gave him a knowing look. “You really don’t want to hang out, do you?” she said, smiling.

Dean shrugged. “I’m just tired. Got used to sleeping all day in the medical wing.” he lied.

Linda snorted. “Bullshit. You just wanna wallow. But I’ll tell you what, you let us come over, and I’ll bring a little contraband with me. How does half a bottle of whiskey sound to you?” she offered.

Dean’s eyes bulged. “How the fuck did you get that?” he asked. “And what will it cost me?” 

Linda tapped her nose. “I have my ways. No charge, all you have to do is say yes.”

Dean huffed a laugh. “Okay, you win.” he said, giving in. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cas' surgeries were a Video assisted Bullectomy and Pleurectomy .
> 
> Bullectomy - surgery to repair the lung, and remove any air from the chest outside the lung as well as removing any debris, blood or infected fluid. 
> 
> Pleurectomy - surgery to irritate the lung and chest wall to create adhesions and stop any further air leaks or lung collapse. 
> 
> Traditionally, the surgeries required a huge incision from the chest to the back, under the arm and ribs. Video assisted surgeries require less recovery time and lower risk to the patient and significantly less scarring. Two or three small scars around 1-3 inches each. 
> 
> It differs for each patient, but recovery time is between 1-6 months, depending on circumstances and patients overall health.


	18. Complications

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> Thank you for all your kind comments and enquiries after my husbands health. He is absolutely fine now, healthy as an Ox. 
> 
> Everyone is still reeling in this chapter, the aftermath hits them all pretty hard. I only write happy endings though, so don't despair.

**Chapter Eighteen. Complications.**

  
  


Cas tried to get comfortable, but it didn’t matter how he positioned the bed or the pillows, he had a persistent ache in his back and chest. He had been uncuffed at least and could move relatively freely. This morning he had been able to go to the bathroom on his own two feet, although a nurse had helped him get there and waited outside the door.

His door opened and two women walked in, one had short dark hair and a serious expression, the other was a bubbly blonde. They were both dressed in smart pant suits.

“ I’m Detective Mills and this is Detective Hanscum. We’d like to ask you a few questions about the incident at the  _ How you Bean? _ Coffee shop.” said Detective Mills as they both held up their badges.

Cas looked confused. “I told the uniformed officers everything I remember.” he said, turning the T.V off and pulling the blanket higher up his torso.

Detective Mills looked grim. “Yes, but unfortunately Mr Winchester died last night. So we have to ask some more questions.” she said, taking out a pad and pen.

Cas gasped. John was dead. Was Cas responsible? Did he kill Dean’s father? How would he ever explain that to Dean, or Sam?

“ He’s dead?” he asked, hoping he’d heard wrong.

Detective Hanscum nodded. “Yeah, they turned off the life support. Apparently he had a DNR and a living will that they didn’t know about previously.”

Cas put a shaking hand up to his mouth.

Detective Mills narrowed her eyes. “Now, your sudden presentation aside, what do you remember of that day?”

Cas described shopping with Gabe before deciding to get coffee. As they crossed the street, Cas saw a man attacking another younger man completely unprovoked. He told of his sudden rage at such an act and described what he could of the fight, much of it being lost in the haze. He stuttered as he described Eileen saving his life, trying to paint her in as good a light as possible. Then he told them of his realisation that he had been stabbed and his aborted arrest.

Detective Mills nodded along, making notes as detective Hanscum looked out of the window.

“ So, why were you in the area? You live right out in the suburbs at the edge of town and your brother lives in Hightown. Neither of which are anywhere near Downtown.” Detective Mills asked pointedly.

Cas kept calm. Gabe had coached him well. “My brother's mate is expecting their first child. My brother and I were just hanging out, doing some shopping. We were going to have dinner at one of the Thai places, I can’t remember which, then have a few beers in celebration.” he said.

Detective Hanscum spoke up. “You and your brother close?” she asked.

Cas nodded. “We are. My family didn’t take my lack of presentation well. He was the only one who stuck by me. I wouldn’t be here without him.” he said proudly.

“ We spoke to some witnesses who said you were waving at someone across the street, who was it?” Detective Hanscum asked her tone friendly, but her eyes were sharp.

Cas gave them a blank look. “Waving? No. I don’t remember that? I’m sorry.” he said, his heart rate picking up.

Detective Mills narrowed her eyes again. “The same witnesses say the man who was attacked, Samuel Winchester, waved at you and you and your brother waved back. Is there anything you want to tell me, Mr Novak?” she said, her tone hard.

Cas shook his head. “No, I’ve told you all I know.” he said stubbornly. He felt his chest tighten as he tried to get his breathing under control.

“ Are you alright? You seem a bit jumpy, Mr Novak.” Detective Hanscum commented suspiciously.

“ My pain medication is wearing off. I find it hard to take a full breath when the pain reaches a certain level.” he said, hissing and placing a hand on his ribs and taking several slow, deep breaths.

“ Well, it seems everyone’s stories match up.” Detective Mills said brightly, snapping her pad closed and putting it in her pocket. “Thank you for your time, Mr Novak.”

Both Detectives made as if to leave and Cas relaxed slightly.

“ Oh, just one more thing. John Winchester is the father of not only the victim, Sam Winchester. But he also has another son, a ‘Dean Winchester’. He is an inmate at the prison where you work. Sorry, formerly worked. Now either that is one big coincidence, or someone isn’t telling the truth.” Detective Mills said, giving Cas a look that said she believed the latter.

Cas tried not to panic. He had to keep calm or they were all in big trouble. “Dean Winchester. I vaguely remember him, yes. So, that was his father and brother? Small world.” he said, his face like stone.

Detective Hanscum shook her head. “So, you’re saying this is one big coincidence?” she said, disbelief on her face.

Cas shrugged. “I guess I am.” he said, wincing and holding his ribs. “Can you get the nurse, this is starting to really hurt.” he asked, his tone slightly desperate.

Detective Mills nodded to Detective Hanscum who left the room.

Detective Mills looked at Cas who was taking slow deep breaths again “The Omega who saved your life, why did she help you before going to her mate?” she asked, curiously.

Cas gave her a dirty look. “Why would I know?” he snapped. “You’d have to ask her. All I can say is I’m glad she did, if she hadn’t, I’d be dead. John Winchester had completely lost his mind. He hit his own child in the head with a brick, completely unprovoked. He stabbed me and was about to stab me again. Who knows what else he would have done if we hadn’t stopped him?”

Detective Mills gave Cas a look of respect. “John Winchester had a rap sheet as long as my arm. But we never could get him for the really bad stuff we suspected him of. Until he messed up a few weeks ago, which didn’t seem like him at all. He was too clever for that. It didn’t seem at all like the man I knew and detested.” she said screwing up her face as if it still bothered her.

“ But it’s funny, the day after the incident at the coffee shop, we received an anonymous package at the station that had a ton of evidence linking him to dozens of crimes. Including grand theft, extortion, kidnapping, and even murder. Some of those murders have been cold cases for years. We followed up on some of it, and it seems to be credible so far. So, I don’t think John Winchester will be mourned by many, or for very long.” she said with a shrug.

Cas stared at her as she looked back and an understanding passed between them.

The door opened and a nurse came in. “Mr Novak, I hear you’re in pain. Is it your stitches or the ache again?” she asked, poking at the dressings on his chest and back.

“ The ache. Getting difficult to breathe again.” he muttered.

The nurse nodded. “I’ll give you a shot of morphine, we’ve started lowering your dose, that’s why you’re feeling it more.” she said, checking his temperature.

“ We’ll leave you in peace, Mr Novak. I think we can consider the matter closed, have a speedy recovery.” Detective Mills said, ushering her partner out the door.

Cas said nothing, he just laid there as the nurse gave him a shot. He felt the familiar heaviness in his limbs and the fuzziness in his mind as the drug dulled his senses.

He sent Gabe a text, asking him to come by later and switched the T.V back on, just to have some background noise. He wasn’t sad about John Winchester's death. The man was a vile human being and the world was better off without him in it. But he was at least partly responsible for the man’s death. He was a killer. He only hoped Dean would forgive him.

He fell asleep as yet another news station reported on the spontaneous presentation of Chuck Novak’s son.

  
  


*************

  
  


Sam opened the bottle of pills and took two. The pain behind his eyes was a constant throb and he still had sensitivity to light and sound. He looked over at where Eileen sat on the couch, her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms looped around her legs. Her oversized sweater bunched up at her waist showing her bare legs. She wasn’t doing so well since they had turned off John’s life support.

Her guilt was eating away at her and Sam didn’t know how to get through to her. He had tried to reassure her that she had only protected Cas and himself. But she had been at least partially responsible for ending a life and Sam supposed that had to have an effect on a person.

As for his own feelings, he couldn’t claim to feel anything but relief at his father's death. John Winchester had been a profoundly unhappy and angry man, bent on destroying his own happiness and that of those around him. He couldn’t remember a single happy memory with his father. He supposed he mourned what could have been more than he missed what was.

He sat down next to Eileen and ran a hand through her hair, she turned to look at him sadly, the guilt in her eyes hurt to look at.

“ Babe, we need to tell Dean. He still doesn’t know. He should hear it from us. I’m not sure how much of the news he gets, but he could be going out of his mind with worry. I’m not cleared to drive yet. Do you feel up to driving me out there?” he asked, signing along.

Eileen nodded, although her eyes filled with tears.  _ Of course. _ she signed.

Sam kissed her head and stood up to help her up, holding out his hand for her to take. She took it allowing him to pull her up, but moved away from him as he went to hug her. He sighed, he knew what was happening. She was denying herself comfort as she felt she didn’t deserve it. He’d seen Dean do the same thing. He hadn’t known how to handle it then either. He only hoped he could figure it out before it went on much longer.

Eileen walked off into the bedroom and came out a few moments later, wearing yoga pants under her sweater, her hair tied in a messy bun on top of her head and her bag on her shoulder. She handed Sam a pair of sunglasses and picked up her keys from the counter, moving to the door to wait for him.

Sam sighed and tucked the sunglasses into the collar of his shirt, sweeping his hair off his face and tying it with a band to keep it away from his stitches. The cut went down from his hairline to between his eyebrows. The side of his face was still bruised. John had punched him while wearing a knuckle-duster and it had also cut into his skin, luckily not deep enough for stitches, but his eye was still bloodshot and the skin around his eye and his cheekbone were purple.

He picked up his wallet from the counter and shoved it into his pocket, smiling at Eileen and hoping to get a response. She just looked away and opened the door, heading down the stairs to the street where the car was parked.

Sam followed her, closing and locking the door behind him and they climbed into the car parked just outside on the street. Sam put on his shades to block out some of the light, easing his headache a little.

They drove in silence, Eileen putting her own sunglasses on at one point as the sun reflected off the buildings.

They arrived at the prison and parked in the visitors car park. Eileen placed the visitor pass on the dash so it could be seen through the windshield and climbed out of the car.

Sam breathed out heavily. He had no idea what to say to Dean. But he knew it wouldn’t go well. Dean never handled bad news in a healthy way. Not that Sam was much better if he was honest with himself.

He climbed out of the car and reached for Eileen as she went to pass him. She froze as he touched her and Sam’s heart broke.

“ Babe, please. I don’t hold you or Cas responsible. Please stop pulling away from me. I can’t take it.” he said emotionally, leaning back so she could see his face.

Eileen burst into tears. Her sobs shaking her whole body as she folded herself against Sam, pressing as close as she could as he in turn pulled her to him. They stood for a few minutes just holding each other, their distressed scents blowing away in the light breeze.

Leaning back, Sam wiped the tears from his mate’s face and kissed her. “You saved us both. Cas would be dead if it wasn’t for you. I’d be dead if it wasn’t for him and you. No-one is to blame for this but John. He started all of this. We’ve all been doing our best to get out of the mess he made.” he said, trying to get through to her.

“ I know you have to process this, and I’m trying to let you. But denying yourself comfort is just punishing us both. Neither of us deserve it.” he added and Eileen nodded.

“ Now I’ve got to try and tell Dean everything that happened. I’m hoping they’ll allow us a private room as I’m here to deliver bad news.” Sam said, trying to bolster up his flagging courage.

Eileen nodded and gripped Sam’s hand in her own, showing her support and finally allowing herself to take the same.

When they got through the security checks, Sam requested a private room to talk to Dean, explaining that he had to tell Dean of their father’s death. He was pleasantly surprised to be treated with compassion as they were shown to a room with some couches and a coffee machine.

The room was painted in a soothing shade of green, the couches faced each other and although one wall had a large wired glass window so they could be observed by the prison officers, they couldn’t be overheard.

Sam and Eileen settled on one of the couches. Eileen had had to leave her bag outside and both of them had been extensively searched. Eileen stood up and took a box of tissues from the table and blew her nose as Sam fiddled with the bracelet Gabe had given him to give to Dean on Cas’ behalf. He wished he could get into the hospital to see Cas, but it was virtually under siege by the press and the risk was too great.

The door opened and a prison officer led a white faced Dean into the room. He looked like he had been crying. Sam’s heart sank, he had obviously heard at least part of the story. Probably on the T.V. Cas’ face was splashed across every newspaper and news report in the country.

The prison officer was surprisingly gentle as he ushered Dean to the couch opposite. He gave Sam and Eileen a sympathetic look as he left the room and closed the door, standing outside to wait for Dean.

Dean was looking at Sam’s face with horror. “Sam, what the fuck happened? The news said that Dad tried to kill a bunch of people, including you, and Cas killed him in self defence? Cas is all over the news, they say he was stabbed and he almost died? I thought Dad was in jail? How did he even get out?” he asked his voice wobbling as he trembled, his arms wrapped around himself protectively.

Sam took Eileen’s hand and explained the sequence of events. How they hadn’t anticipated that John would use the money from Michael to bail himself out. How he had attacked Sam unprovoked. He explained that Cas had jumped to his defense, protecting him from John, going feral and outing himself in the process. How he had been stabbed and seconds away from being killed when Eileen had defended him. He explained that John had a living will and a DNR, and they had switched off his life support a couple of days ago. He didn’t cry, but he did have to stop and take deep breaths every few minutes.

Dean listened, for once not interrupting or getting angry. He just looked devastated.

“ So, Cas is virtually under siege right now. I can’t get anywhere near him without drawing attention to myself and therefore, you. But Gabe has been great, he’s been running messages back and forth. He actually gave me this to give you. It’s from Cas. He says it’s a promise of forever and that he loves you.” Sam finished, slipping the leather bracelet off his wrist and hiding it in his hand so Dean could see it.

Dean’s eyes filled with tears and he began to cry. Sam palmed the bracelet and used the same hand to pass Dean a tissue from the box on the table, the bracelet hidden inside.

Dean took it gratefully, palming the bracelet and gripping it. “I don’t even know what to say. This is nuts.” he said, wiping his eyes.

Sam nodded. “Yeah. Cas saved my life, man. I swear he looks so calm, but I saw the CCTV from the coffee shop. He had the upper hand until Dad faked being unconscious so he could stab him in the back.” he said, making Dean wince.

Dean looked at Eileen with gratitude. “You saved his life, thank you.” he said gratefully.

Eileen shook her head and burst into tears. Dean looked at Sam in surprise.

Sam pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. “She’s having a hard time with it. She feels responsible for killing him. From what Gabe tells me, so does Cas.” he explained.

Dean shook his head. “No! It was Dad. Jesus Sam, he hit you with a fuckin’ brick! I mean, he was drunk, and he was obviously waiting for you. He fuckin’ ambushed you.” He said passionately. “Eileen, it wasn’t your fault!”

Sam lifted Eileen’s face to look at him and indicated for her to look at Dean. She did, her eyes reddened and she cried.

Dean looked her in the eyes. “Eileen, it wasn’t your fault. He would have killed them. You didn’t know Dad like we did. Once he got something in his head, he wouldn’t stop. Not for anything. You hit him to prevent him killing Cas, and you are a better person than I am, because I’m telling you right now, I wouldn’t have stopped at one!” he ranted, breathless and crying. “I would have kept hitting that asshole until my arms gave out. He was a drunken abusive bastard who didn’t think the word ‘no’ applied to him. Sam broke away from him and he didn’t like it, so Sam had to be taught a lesson. I know exactly what that bastard was thinking. He was a bully and a coward and I’m fuckin’ glad he’s dead!” he sobbed.

Eileen looked shocked at Dean’s outburst. She nodded, seeming to accept Dean’s words and reached out a hand to comfort Dean. He reached back and they gripped each other.

The guard opened the door and stood there awkwardly, clearing his throat. “Uh, I’m sorry. But there’s no touching allowed.” he said. “I understand the circumstances, but the rules are to protect everyone. Again, I’m sorry.” he said, looking genuinely apologetic.

Dean let go of Eileen’s hand and sat back with a sigh. “Yeah sure, officer Ezra. I get it. Thanks for not being a dick about it.” he said tiredly.

Officer Ezra nodded and excused himself, closing the door and resuming his stance outside in the corridor where he could observe through the window.

“ He seems to be genuinely sorry for you.” Sam commented, puzzled. “I would have thought they’d be pissed ‘cause Dad stabbed Cas.”

Dean shrugged. “They saw how Dad was when he came here. And they know Cas, they know he would have had to be pushed beyond his limits to go fuckin’ crazy like that. They showed clips of the CCTV from the coffee shop on the news, not the whole thing, but they showed the part where Dad stabbed Cas. Slowed it down and played it frame by fuckin’ frame. Zoomed right in on it.” he said, his breath catching, the smell of Omega distress in the room was thick.

Sam blanched. “Jesus. I’m so sorry. I wanted to get here sooner, but I have a pretty bad concussion. I’m still not cleared to drive. But you should never have found out like that.” he said looking guilty.

Dean shook his head. “Warden Hannah blocked the news channels after that. She called a meeting, told us all that she’s bringing in counsellors for if we want to talk. I think she’s trying to get ahead of the inevitable shitstorm when the press finally figures out that I’m in here and I knew Cas. It’s a fucking nightmare. We’re never gonna be left in peace if we come back here. If they figure  _ everything _ out, Cas will go to jail.” he whispered.

Sam nodded. “Yeah, we knew Cas’ presentation would be big news, but the press are soaking up every bit of scandal they can find. Someone leaked his baby photos for fucks sake. Did you see the statement his brother put out? Gabe was pissed.” he said quietly.

Dean shook his head. “No, like I said, the news channels have been blocked. What happened?” he asked.

Sam wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Michael hasn’t said anything yet, but Luke put out a statement of support. Saying that Cas was cut off by Michael against Luke’s wishes, that he tried to help Cas but Michael forbid it and blah blah blah.” he sneered. “Gabe was so pissed, he leaked a photo of Luke with a mated Omega in a very compromising position.”

Dean snorted in disgust. “Ugh. What an asshole.” he said, wiping at his eyes.”Luke, not Gabe.” he added.

Sam pulled Eileen a little closer under his arm and she snuggled in, wrapping her arm around Sam’s chest. “Yeah. Oh, I should get a date for Bobby’s release soon, the government wants to make sure we are prepared to look after him properly before they let him go. My apartment was turned down. It’s too small and it’s not exactly wheelchair friendly, but I sent them pictures of the new house and they were approved.” he said happily.

Dean frowned. “I thought he was gonna stay with me?” he said, confused.

Sam smiled. “He is. But since you are still in here for another two months and Bobby needs to get out now, I’m gonna get him all set up. With the money Gabe gave me, I can pay for a nurse and speech and physical therapy, the sooner he starts with it, the better for him.” he said.

Dean nodded. “Fair enough. He’ll wanna be as independent as he can.” he agreed.

Sam nodded, looking thoughtful. “We’ll get through it. One day we’ll look back and-”

“ Laugh? Nah, we’ll wonder how the fuck we managed, but we ain’t gonna laugh, Sam.” Dean interrupted, rolling his eyes.

Sam had to agree. “Okay, but my point is, we’ll all look back,  _ together _ .”

Dean sighed. “I hope so, Sam. I really fuckin’ hope so.”


	19. Old enemies, Older friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves* 
> 
> Wow, we went past 4,000 hits! Thank you so much. I'm so happy that you seem to be enjoying reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm working on four projects right now and your enthusiasm is inspiring me to get them all finished. 
> 
> Okay, in this chapter, we finally meet Michael himself. Can Cas keep it together when facing him? Or will he feel empowered by his recent experiences and finally stand up to the jerk? 
> 
> Also, Sam meets an old friend and repays a favour.

**Chapter Nineteen. Old enemies, Older friends.**

  
  


Cas had been transferred to an exclusive private clinic, set in beautiful grounds and far back from the road where the press gathered, trying to get a glimpse of the brand new Alpha. He was technically well enough to leave, but hiding out here seemed like the wise choice for now. The press couldn’t step foot on the grounds or even fly overhead with news helicopters as they would disturb the patients.

He was allowed outside now, and spent time wandering the shady garden, well out of sight. The chest tube had been removed before he travelled in a private ambulance from the hospital to the clinic. Kali had come to visit several times, bringing food and books to keep him occupied. She was the only person who could match Cas at playing chess. They were pretty even on score. It currently stood at 9/10 to Cas. He fully expected her to come back fighting and beat him next time.

His dressings were no longer the restrictive type that wrapped his chest and back. Instead he had four smaller dressing pads over the wounds. One from the actual stab wound in his side, two from the surgery, on his back and shoulder, and one from the chest drain. He had seen them all with the help of a mirror and was relieved to see that they were all relatively small, none of them bigger than three inches and the stitches were small and neat.

He wrote letters to Dean, using his code name ‘Emanuel Allen’. He apologised over his involvement in John’s death. He reassured Dean that he was recovering, and professed his undying love, all in code. Kali brought his replies with her and teased Cas when he would literally snatch them from her hand and read it immediately.

Dean had told him there was nothing to forgive, that he had saved Sam and no act was higher in his eyes. He too expressed his love and his worry. He thanked Cas for his gift, telling him he only took it off to shower.

They made plans and promises, made in jokes and tried desperately hard to keep the connection without seeing each other face to face. They scented the letters, and flirted, albeit in limited ways. Dean now had only six weeks left and it looked like Cas would only be ready to leave a week or so before. His paperwork was taking a while to get through.

His phone rang, and he picked it up, looking at the screen and smiling.

“ Hi, Gabe. What’s up?” He asked, sitting at one of the tables on a shady patio in the clinics grounds.

“ _ Heads up, Michael is heading your way. He’s giving an interview outside of the clinic gates right now, on live T.V.”  _ Gabe said.

“ He certainly took his time. I was beginning to think he wouldn’t come.” Cas replied wryly.

“ _ Yeah, well. Don’t let him bully you. Those shares are yours, if he tries to say otherwise, tell him to fuck off.”  _ Gabe chuckled. “ _ I wish I could be there to see it, but it might tip our hat if I’m there.” _

Cas just smiled. “Don’t worry. It’s been a long time since I was a scared kid. He has no power over me any more.”

“ _ Exactly, that’s what makes him more dangerous. He’ll probably try some crap about you not being entitled, but I was at the reading of the will. Those shares revert to you if you presented. That was probably the only good thing to come out of Dad not accepting your diagnosis.”  _ Gabe said bitterly.

“ Alright, well. I think I’ll go and change into something that will make him uncomfortable. Maybe I’ll just wear a hospital gown and leave the back open with no underwear.” Cas joked, making Gabe laugh.

“ _ Wear it back to front, that’ll really hit him in the ego.”  _ Gabe quipped and Cas laughed out loud.

“ Eh, I’ll just walk around naked.” Cas replied, then hung up as Gabe laughed again. He had no intention of doing that, but it was amusing to imagine for a moment.

Cas took the quickest route to his plush hospital room that more resembled a hotel room than a working clinic. He had spotted some actors that even he had heard of lurking around, obviously recovering from plastic surgery. They watched him with interest, recognising him from the news, but they left him alone, content to recover in private and let others do the same.

He saw that his bed had been remade and the french doors were opened onto the little private patio, letting in a fresh smelling breeze. Cas locked the door and quickly changed out of his pajamas and into some smart jeans and a polo shirt. He checked his face in the mirror and decided he wouldn’t bother to shave, his beard had grown in and his hair had grown out a little, but he found he liked it. Hopefully Dean would too. He settled for straightening his hair a little instead. He unlocked the door and sat on one of the couches to wait for Michael, scrolling through his phone.

Ten minutes later he heard someone knock at his door and he stood up to open it.

Michael hadn’t changed much, he had a few streaks of silver in his hair, but it was as thick as ever. He still looked trim and tanned. His eyes were still cold and lifeless.

“ Michael.” Cas said flatly. “What do you want?”

Michael walked in without being invited. “I came to congratulate you, of course. An Alpha at last. It looks like Dad was right after all.” he said, looking around the room and then at Cas as if he wondered how Cas could possibly afford it.

Cas just stayed silent, waiting him out. He closed the door and moved to the small kitchenette where he began boiling water for tea. He didn’t offer any to Michael, it would give the illusion that he was welcome.

“ Did you know who John Winchester was when you killed him?” Michael asked, obviously hoping it would hit where it hurt as he poked at the books on the bookshelf.

Cas frowned. “I did not.” he said. “and I didn’t actually kill him. But you know that, you only asked to try to upset me.” Cas refused to take the bait and called him out instead as he poured hot water on the tea bag in his mug.

Michael smirked. “You’ve changed. Hopefully for the better. It certainly couldn’t have gotten for the worse.” he said nastily

Cas just chuckled. “That was weak. Come on, Michael. You can do better than that.”

“ I’m just warming up, it’s been a while.” Michael shrugged as he strolled around the room as if he owned it.

“ Take your time. I’ve got nothing  _ but _ time.” Cas said, stirring the tea slowly as if to illustrate his point.

“ What are you going to do with your life? I mean, your little prison job won’t take you back. I suppose you could transfer to an Alpha prison instead.” Michael mused, taking a seat on the couch.

Cas just smiled. “I already have a job lined up. I’m a project manager for Loki Enterprises. They’re building a ski resort in Canada.” he said, taking a seat on the other couch and meeting Michaels stare.

Michael frowned. “Loki Enterprises? Yes, I know of them. They own a bunch of hotels and resorts all over the world. Very mysterious company. No investors, no shares. It’s odd that they’d hire someone like you.” he said, looking genuinely puzzled.

“ Until you remember my college degree. Architecture, with a minor in project management. Despite your efforts, I did actually finish college, so I’m fully qualified.” Cas said, sipping the tea.

“ You don’t want to join the company? Dad wanted all of his sons to work together.” Michael asked.

Cas laughed so hard he had to put his cup down on the table to avoid spilling it.

“ You’ve developed a sense of humour, I see.” Cas spluttered as Michael looked bemused.

“ So, you have no interest in your shares. I’m happy to take them off your hands.” Michael said casually, and without a hint of subtlety.

Cas chuckled. “Ah, there it is. I wondered when you’d get around to it. Tsk tsk, Michael. You didn’t even try to butter me up first, like Luke did.” he said, enjoying the flicker of anger in Michael’s eyes.

Michael gave him a hard look. “Why bother? We’d both know I was faking it. Instead, I’ll make you an offer. I’ll pay 10% more than market price for them.” he said, his lip curling.

Cas gave him an incredulous look. “Luke offered 30% over market price. I swear, it’s like you’re not even trying, Michael.” he taunted.

Michael clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth. “Fine, I’ll give you 5% more than whatever Luke offers.” he said, his fingers digging into the fancy couch.

Cas looked thoughtful. “I’ll think about it. Maybe a better offer will come along if I hold on to them.” he teased. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m recuperating. I’m going to drink my tea and read a book in the sunshine. Then I might go crazy and take a nap.” he said, standing up and opening the door, indicating for Michael to leave.

Michael looked downright pissed.

Cas pulled his phone out of his pocket and took a picture. “There, I can update your contact picture on my new phone.” he said with a smirk.

Michael stood up, straightening his tie and smoothing out his suit, and then walked out of the door without so much as a goodbye.

“ Bye!” Cas called after him brightly, before closing the door and sending the picture of Michael to Gabe immediately.

Seconds later his phone rang. Cas answered and heard Gabe laughing on the other end.

“ _ Is that what he looked like when he left? Tell me EVERYTHING!”  _ Gabe asked excitedly.

Cas told him word for word, pausing periodically as Gabe kept breaking out into laughter.

“ He is really pissed. It was so satisfying.” Cas said, pleased with himself.

“ _ I bet. Damn, I’m so proud of you. And you know what? Those changes you recommended to the plans for the cabins? It’s gonna save me 15% on the heating bills each year. Nepotism be damned, you’re a damn good employee kid.” Gabe praised. _

Cas smiled. “It’s more eco friendly too. Maybe you could use that in the advertising. I know some people are concerned about the environmental impact of the resort on the area. If you can show that you are actively making an effort to lessen it, you might have an easier time getting things done.” Cas suggested.

“ _ So, you think we could do more with the plans to make it acceptable to the tree huggers?”  _ Gabe asked.

“ Gabe, you live on this planet too. I’m just saying, there are a ton of ways to save money and the environment, but still have a certain standard of luxury.” Cas said, rolling his eyes.

“ _ Okay, put together a presentation. I’d love to see your ideas.”  _ Gabe said seriously.

Cas choked on air. “W-what?” he stammered.

“ _ Call it your first project for your new job. You can officially start Monday. Take your time, and get back to me when you have something, okay?”  _ Gabe chuckled.  _ “Welcome to the team!”  _ he said before he hung up.

Cas looked at his phone and shook his head.

“ I’d better get a laptop” he whined to the empty room.

  
  


***************

  
  


Sam stood in a different prison, with one of the quietest Alphas he’d ever met. The man stood at around the same height as himself, but moved in a way that made no sound. Even his speaking voice was quiet. He’d introduced himself as Officer Gadreel and escorted Sam through the prison with a calm and serene air.

“ Mr Singer is somewhat of a character.” the Alpha said, making Sam look at him instead of the door he was watching.

“ Uh, yeah.” Sam agreed. “He’s rough around the edges, but he’s a softy really.”

The Alpha nodded. “He took several of the younger first offenders under his wing as soon as he arrived. He encouraged them to turn their lives around, and take advantage of the education programs.” he said, sounding impressed.

Sam smiled. “Yeah, sounds like Bobby alright.”

“ I was the officer in charge the day he had his stroke. In fact, I was the one who found him. He wasn’t at morning roll call, so I went to look for him and discovered him in bed. I knew something was wrong immediately and radioed for help. Our medical facility is one of the best in the state, but even so. I pushed for him to be admitted to a hospital under guard after the initial emergency treatment. I knew his chances were better there.” Officer Gadreel said seriously. It was the most he had spoken the whole time Sam had been here.

Sam felt a wave of gratitude for the stoic officer. “Well, then. Thank you. The fact that Bobby is still with us is because of that. I doubt he would have survived a second stroke.” he said, a little choked.

The hospital had discovered several more blood clots, every one of them a ticking time bomb. They gave him blood thinners and performed a procedure to remove the clots before they could cause problems.

“ I was impressed by his kind nature, and his ability to connect with the young and angry Alphas. He did more in a few months than some of my officers have done in years. I will be reviewing my own training techniques going forward. If I can adopt some of his techniques, we may be able to prevent repeat offenders.” Officer Gadreel said, full of respect for the older Alpha.

Sam was bursting with pride for Bobby. “Thanks man. He means a lot to us. I was one of those angry, young Alphas, except Bobby got to me before I ever got in trouble. He set me straight and now I just graduated early from college. I met my true mate and I’m starting a new job.” he said, smiling.

Officer Gadreel looked impressed. “Congratulations.” he said, turning as sounds from the corridor outside indicated that someone was coming.

Sam felt nervous, he hadn’t seen Bobby for months. The door opened and Bobby was wheeled in. Sam took a shuddering breath as he saw how different he looked.

Bobby’s trademark cap was missing and his clothes hung on his now much slimmer frame. His beard was longer and brushed his chest. Sam could see that the Alpha’s face had dropped on his left side and his left arm and leg were curled up oddly as if placed in a rush.

Bobby’s eyes were still bright and clear as ever and he gave Sam a lopsided smile as he approached.

“ Hey, Bobby. I’m just gonna make your leg and arm a little more comfortable, okay?” Sam said, shooting a dirty look at the officer pushing the wheelchair.

Bobby grunted a reply and Sam took it as permission, so he gently lifted Bobby’s leg and put his foot on the footrest correctly, then moved his arm so his wrist was straight.

“ There, that’s gotta be better.” Sam said, smiling. “It’s good to see you old man.” he said warmly.

Bobby grunted again and Sam laughed. “Somehow, I just know you just called me an “idjit”, I guess some things never change.”

Bobby made a strange rasping sound as his body shook. It took Sam a moment to realise the old man was laughing.

“ Yeah, yeah, old man. Laugh it up.” Sam chuckled. “Wait ‘till you see the van I hired to get your old ass home. It’s got a wheelchair lift and it’s neon green. You’re gonna hate it.” he laughed as Bobby grunted again, a look of disgust on his face.

“ Don’t worry, it’s not staying. It’s just to get you to the clinic. You should see this place. It’s amazing. I heard Tori Spelling might be staying there. Rumour has it, she’s having some work done.” Sam teased, grinning when Bobby’s eyes lit up.

Sam looked at Officer Gadreel who was giving the other officer a stern talking to about the state Bobby had been in.

“ Where’s your stuff?” Sam asked, looking around.

Bobby grunted and used his good arm to gesture behind him. Sam looked to see a clear plastic bag with Bobby’s things in it hanging from the handles of the wheelchair.

Sam looked at the awful wheelchair, it was obviously a standard hospital one, it didn’t have a cushion or padded armrests. He shook his head, he guessed it was one of the first things they should buy. He made a mental note to bring a laptop to the hospital so Bobby could help choose one. Although Bobby would probably appreciate a tablet or something of his own. He added it to the mental list as well.

“ You ready to get out of here? I know I am.” Sam said, grinning as Bobby grunted impatiently.

Officer Gadreel walked over and knelt down in front of Bobby’s chair. “I wish you all the best, Mr Singer. I enjoyed our talks and your advice was invaluable to me. Now, don’t give Mr Winchester too much trouble, he tells me he is doing well and it’s all because of you.” he said fondly.

Bobby grunted again and Officer Gadreel looked at Sam, who chuckled.

“ I’m fairly sure he called you an “idjit” too. Don’t worry, it’s a term of affection for him.” Sam laughed out, as Gadreel gave Bobby a small smile.

“ Goodbye Mr Singer.” Gadreel said, standing up and shaking the old man’s good hand. He turned to Sam to do the same. “I must return to my duties, but Officer Efram has been instructed to help you with whatever you need.”

Sam shot another dirty look at the officer who had put Bobby in his chair like a sack of flour. “I think we’ll manage. We just need you to get the doors.” he said coldly.

Bobby made the weird rasping sound that was his laugh again as the Officer visibly flinched at the hostile attitude coming from Sam.

Gadreel excused himself and left, waving goodbye as he left the room.

Efram tried to take the handles of the wheelchair to push Bobby, but Sam got there first, staring Efram down and taking control of Bobby’s wheelchair.

“ I said, we can manage. Just get the doors.” Sam snapped as Bobby laughed again, he seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.

“ What do you say we go to a drive through and I treat you to a milkshake, old man?” Sam said cheerily and he steered Bobby out of the door and followed Efram through the prison.

Bobby grunted and his head bobbed which Sam took to be a “yes”.

“ You’re lucky Dean isn’t here, he’d probably take you to a strip club and buy you a lapdance.” Sam joked and Bobby made a hooting noise as he laughed harder.

“ Yeah, I thought that’d amuse you. I loaded up some classic rock on my phone, we can play it in the van and it’ll be just like he’s here.” Sam mused.

They came to a large door, which Efram opened, leading to the car park. Sam pushed the wheelchair outside and towards the neon green van parked nearby. He looked down to see Bobby lifting his face to the sun, a lopsided smile on his face.

“ Smell that, Bobby? That’s freedom.” Sam said, happily.

Bobby just grunted.

Sam laughed. “Maybe I am an idjit, but I’m the idjit who just sprung you from the joint and I’m taking you to an exclusive clinic, where you’ll be getting daily bedbaths from pretty Beta nurses.” 

Bobby went quiet.

Sam smirked. “Yeah, I thought so.” he said, with a chuckle.


	20. Waiting game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> I've been so busy I've forgotten which way is up. But I set alerts so I wouldn't forget to post. We're coming to the final chapters now. Just four more and the epilogue. *cries*
> 
> This one is filler, not gonna lie. But poor Cas and Dean have been separated and are trying to cope with being apart. Not easy for true mates, right now they are going through the motions and counting down the days. But it will get harder on them. They have fully scent bonded, meaning they will start to come apart at the seams without each other if it goes on too long....

**Chapter Twenty. Waiting game.**

  
  
  


Dean hugged Jesse as he passed his cell. The Omega was being released today and the excitement had been building all week. They had had a little send off for him the night before, and he had given the entire group little gifts as well as his e-mail address, so they could keep in contact.

Dean was going to miss Jesse, the big guy was funny, sweet and charming. He knew he wouldn’t be able to visit anyone, but the occasional email couldn’t hurt.

Alfie had already been released. Dean hadn’t bothered confronting him, wanting to keep his head down and finish his sentence, but somehow everyone found out that Alfie was snooping for Dean’s Alpha. Snitches were deeply unpopular to say the least, so Alfie had been ostracised for the last few days of his sentence, there was no farewell party for him.

Kaia had two months left before she was released for a mandatory rehab stint. From what Dean had seen, she had been clean for months already.

Linda and Kevin had a little while longer. As they had no Alpha, they had reparations to make, which would take about a year to pay off. Dean and the others did their best to help them out as much as possible to try to shorten their sentence.

Dean only had two weeks to go before he was released. He and Cas wrote everyday, but it wasn’t the same as seeing him face to face. Cas seemed to be feeling it pretty badly, his letters were a little melancholy as he recovered and had little to do all day, his project for Gabe already completed. Dean was pleased to see that today’s letter had been a little more upbeat as the doctors had finally cleared him for light exercise. Dean only hoped that Cas wouldn’t push himself too far, too fast.

Linda had noticed Dean’s constant stream of letters and teased Dean, asking him if he had a beau. When he had denied it, she gave him a disbelieving look, but didn’t push. She had been supportive since Dean’s “illness”, but since John’s death, she had been downright protective of Dean. She had initially disapproved of Sam and Dean’s plans for John’s funeral. They had decided that he should be cremated and his ashes buried with his parents. They decided against a service, there would be a distinct lack of mourners and the press would turn it into a circus. Warden Hannah had carefully explained that as there was no service, Dean could not leave the prison to mourn his father. The law stated he could only be released on a special dispensation for the actual service. She had seemed genuinely sorry and he knew she was under a lot of pressure right now. The press still hadn’t figured out the connection, and Dean was happy to keep it that way, as was Hannah.

“ See ya, Jesse. Don’t go borrowing no more horses, you hear me?” Dean said, slapping the Omega on the back as he broke the hug.

Jesse laughed. “I’ll have my own, don’t worry about that.”

“ Cesar got the horses already?” Dean asked, surprised.

Jesse nodded. “Yeah, he got the stables finished early, so he went ahead and started getting the horses from auction.”

“ Sweet! You’ll be rounding up cattle and camping out on the range in no time.” Dean said excitedly.

Jesse laughed. “It’s not that sort of farm, Dean. We’re breeding horses, not cattle. Sorry to ruin all of your cowboy fantasies.”

Dean looked disappointed. “Aww man. That sucks.” he grumbled.

“ Anyway, I gotta go. Cesar is waiting for me.” Jesse said, excitedly. “I’m gonna miss you guys!”

Dean watched Jesse leave with a warm feeling in his chest. In just two weeks that would be him going to meet Sam, who would take him to meet Cas just a few days after.

In three weeks he would be a mated man.

Cas had asked him if he wanted to wait; give them some time to get to know each other properly before mating. Dean had refused. He had already lost enough time and wanted to be with Cas as soon as possible. He was eager for his life to start.

**************

  
  


Cas brushed his fingers through his beard, now fully grown out after the last few weeks of not shaving. It wasn’t just laziness, but actually served a purpose. His bare face was almost instantly recognisable now, even weeks after the event. The beard would help disguise him when he finally got out of this clinic.

He’d finally met Bobby Singer and he couldn’t help but admire the man who had risked everything for Dean. Since arriving at the clinic, Bobby’s recovery had come along in leaps and bounds. His speech especially, it was slurred and halting, but understandable, except for when he was tired. His arm was a lot better, and he could use his pointer finger to tap messages on his tablet when he was too tired to talk. His leg still couldn’t support his weight and he struggled to move it at all, but it was amazing how far he had come in just a few weeks.

Cas and Bobby had had a few long conversations, about Dean and their plans. The old man was keen to keep at least some of his independence, and Cas had been in contact with the contractor to make some changes to the cabin that made life easier for Bobby.

Cas’s wounds had healed well and he’d lost a little weight, but he looked fitter than ever. He’d spent time in the gym and the pool, and had even gotten a tan from running around the grounds of the clinic. At Gabe’s urging, he’d had his hair cut in a more fashionable style, and bought a whole new wardrobe. He felt braver, and enjoyed buying items that he never dared to wear before. He wanted Dean to find him attractive, and to look like he belonged at Dean’s side.

His house had sold quickly, the improvements he made and the housing boom giving him a tidy profit, his shares and prior investments also seriously expanding his net worth. He looked at all of the zeros and felt pride that he could provide for Dean and any children they may have. He didn’t want to touch what was left of the money Dean had gotten from Michael, it felt like blood money and more to the point, it was Dean’s to do with what he wished.

Bobby had asked Cas how he felt about Dean working, Cas had shrugged and replied that it was Dean’s decision. Although Dean had told him he wanted to stay home once they had children, at least while they were small. Cas had offered to be the one to stay home, but Dean had shook his head and suggested that once the resort was finished, that both he and Cas could discuss it again, they had enough money to take their time to decide. Bobby looked impressed.

Cas had also helped Bobby to sell his house, business and land. Bobby had no blood relatives left, and his employees had found work elsewhere when he was jailed. He had no ties to the area any more and looked forward to his (albeit forced) retirement.

Bobby’s new electric wheelchair had finally arrived and the older man was over the moon with the tiny piece of independence it gave him. He had taken to joining Cas on his run around the grounds, carrying his water and a towel. The two Alphas bonded slowly, forming a deep friendship based on mutual respect. Bobby had taken to calling Cas an “idjit” very soon after they had met. Cas had come to understand that it was his way of giving affection and, he smiled each time the older Alpha referred to him as such.

They spoke of John only once. Bobby had told him what he could of John’s treatment of the boys, and his own efforts to protect them. Cas had confessed to framing John with Sam’s help. Bobby had hooted with laughter at that and told Cas he had already figured that part out. John was never that sloppy, even in his worst drunken state. The man had been sly and cunning enough to  _ always _ cover his tracks.

Cas told him about the detective who had visited him in the hospital. Bobby surprised him by telling him he knew her. Jody Mills had been a long time buddy of Bobby’s, going back many years when her husband and child were still alive. Bobby had been her neighbour and had been there for her when a faulty heater had leaked deadly carbon monoxide as her husband and son slept; they never woke up. Jody had been a beat cop at the time and out on an overnight shift. The landlord of the property had botched a repair, trying to save money, then tried to blame it on Jody’s husband. Telling investigators that he had never repaired it at all and that the tenants must have done it themselves. Jody had pursued the man through the courts until he died, flat broke and cursing her. She was apparently by the book, but knew when and where to apply it to the best effect.

Cas knew that was why she hadn’t pushed for the whole truth. She knew justice had been served and had just wanted to see if her hunch was correct. He felt relieved that she had been the one to investigate, someone else might not have been so understanding.

Bobby had begun to allow Cas to join him in his physical therapy sessions after Cas had gently reminded him that very soon, he and Dean would need to take over his care and it would be better for them all if Cas knew how to do it right. The therapist was delighted to have an enthusiastic student to teach and coached the two Alphas into working together. He taught Cas how to lift Bobby correctly and how to get him in and out of his chair, both with and without a hoist. He showed them how to get Bobby ready for a shower and get him on and off the toilet. He even helped them design Bobby’s rooms to make the most of his independence. Something Bobby was very keen on.

They were preparing for the life they wanted to live once Dean was free. Something they were  _ all _ very keen on.

  
  


************

  
  


Dean couldn’t sleep. Linda had been dropping some heavy hints over the last few days that she knew something, but still had yet to come out and say it. Just today, she had made another joke about Dean having a secret beau. When Dean denied it, she gave him a look that said she knew he was lying.

He only had one more week until he was released. He hadn’t mentioned his fears to Cas yet. Cas was due to leave for Canada tomorrow. He was to go on ahead and get everything ready. It was also to distract the media from Dean. No-one had made the connection yet, but if they mated and left the country together, someone would connect the dots and Cas would get in a lot of trouble.

In his latest letter, Cas had sent him photos of a beautiful cabin set in stunning surroundings. They were copies of the photos the contractor had sent Cas of their new home. Dean could imagine himself drinking coffee on the porch, or cooking in the kitchen, or watching the sunset from their bedroom window. He smiled as he recognised features that he had discussed with Cas as they had talked about their dream home. In particular, the wood burning stove in the main room, the roll top bath in the en suite and the picture window in their bedroom.

He noticed one of the rooms that would make an ideal nursery, it seemed like Cas had the same thing in mind, as it was already painted in soft pastel shades. It had yet to be furnished, but it was clear what the intention was. He pictured Cas holding a newborn in his arms and sighed. He just knew the Alpha would be an adoring father.

He pictured himself in the same scenario, holding a newborn in his arms as Cas looked on adoringly at them both. It gave him a warm feeling inside. He loved that Cas was so demonstrative, he never hesitated to let Dean know how much he loved him. Even in the coded letters, he always signed off after a lengthy paragraph declaring his undying love. It had taken some getting used to, John had never been the warm and fuzzy type with his Mom or anyone as far as he remembered. Dean had no way of knowing if it was a true mate thing or simply a Cas thing. He tried to do the same for Cas. It didn’t come as easy for him, but it was worth it to see the Alphas' eyes light up whenever he said it unprompted.

He studied the pictures over and over, trying to memorise every tiny detail. He felt greedy for it, it was all so close he could taste it.

He only hoped it wasn’t about to be snatched from his grasp.

  
  


****************

  
  


Cas loaded the last of his things into the U-Haul along with his beloved bike and turned to Sam with a smile.

“ Thank you for helping me, Sam.” He said to the taller Alpha.

“ It’s all good, man. I’ll follow in a couple of weeks with Bobby and Dean. We’ll have a party or something when we get there.” Sam said, chuckling as he slapped Cas on the shoulder good heartedly.

“ Are you going to be able to manage everything while I’m gone?” Cas asked worriedly.

Sam nodded. “Yeah, Cas. Almost everything is ready. I’ve sold John’s house, my visa is approved and my apartment is almost packed up. All I have to do is take Dean to the Omega registry, so I can officially take custody of him before I can add him to my passport. It’ll take a few days and then we’ll make the drive up to meet you.”

“ Good. I just feel- It feels like I’m abandoning him.” Cas burst out, unhappily. “I know this needs to be done this way, but it doesn’t feel right.”

Sam felt sympathetic. “Yeah, I guess it doesn’t. But it’s less than two weeks, Cas. Then you guys are together forever. Nothing and no-one can come between you again. The cabin needs to be finished for Dean and Bobby, something you need to be there for. And don’t forget, you start your new job officially next week.” he reminded him.

Cas sighed heavily. “I miss him, Sam. The only thing stopping me from going crazy is his letters.” he confessed.

“ I bet. Look, I’ll get him a new smartphone and teach him how to FaceTime you, okay? You guys can talk every day for as long as you want.” he offered, hoping to soothe the troubled Alpha.

Cas brightened. “That would be wonderful. Thank you, Sam. You’ve been a good friend to me these last few months.” he said gratefully.

Sam huffed a laugh. “Jeez, Cas. We’ll see each other in two weeks at the most.” he joked. “Have you got all of your papers?” he asked.

Cas nodded and pointed to a folder on the passenger seat of the truck he’d bought, not only for the journey, but for the harsh winters across the border. Bobby had taken one look at it and had slurred out “’least it ain’t a Ford.” Which Cas assumed was grudging approval, coming from Bobby.

“ Has the car been released yet?” Cas asked, hoping for Dean’s sake that it had.

Sam sighed. “Yeah, but she’s a mess. It’s gonna cost a bomb to get it shipped up there, it certainly won’t make the drive. Hell, it wouldn’t make it off the lot under its own power.” he said sadly. He knew Dean would have a fit once he laid eyes on the sorry state of the Impala.

“ I’ll pay for it, Sam. Dean has forbidden anyone else to work on it but himself. So, send me the bill.” he said firmly.

Sam shook his head. “No way. It was my idea, and I was driving that night, so I should pay.” he insisted stubbornly.

“ I was there too. So I should at least pay half.” Cas said reasonably.

Sam let out a huff. “Fine.” he said, holding out his hand to shake.

Cas took it and they shook on it.

“ You figured out all of your stops?” Sam asked.

Cas nodded. “Yes, sort of. I’ve marked some places down, but I’ll sleep in the truck so it's just rest stops really.” he said with a shrug.

“ I don’t envy your back.” Sam said with a wince. “Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer sleeping in a motel?” he asked.

Cas shook his head. “No, the truck is fine to sleep in, plenty of room on the back seat. I don’t want to leave the U-Haul unattended. My bike is my most precious possession. I only wish I was making the journey on her, and not in the truck.” he said wistfully.

Sam grinned. “You sound like Dean. He calls the Impala “Baby”. But yeah, I get that. She’s a beautiful bike.” Sam said admiringly. He had fallen in love with it as soon as he laid eyes on her in Cas garage.

“ I think once the car is restored, it’ll look very good next to her.” Cas said with a smile.

Sam had to agree. As much as he loved his own truck, it wasn’t as pretty as any of the other vehicles or as fast, or even as economical. But he loved it nonetheless, he had driven her all through high school and college.

Cas climbed up into the truck and pulled the door shut behind him. “I’ll check in whenever I stop to give you an update.” he promised.

Sam nodded as he stepped to the open window of the truck. “Yeah, you’d better. Bobby and Eileen will worry otherwise.” he said with a grin. “Oh, I think Gabe may have put a tracker in your truck. He joked about it, but I think he might have actually been serious.” he warned.

Cas sighed. “I know, I already found it. I put it in a truck heading to Mexico this morning. It’ll freak him out for a while until he realises what I’ve done.” he grinned evilly.

Sam burst out laughing. “Jesus. You two are worse than me and Dean.”

Cas shrugged. “He has been pranking me my whole life, it’s safe to say I learned a long time ago to keep an eye out for an opportunity to get him back.”

“ I don’t understand why he would track you in the first place.” Sam wondered aloud.

Cas rolled his eyes. “Because he’s an overprotective dick. And he thinks it would freak me out when he tells me exactly where I am. And it probably would if he didn’t do this every time I go anywhere.” he said, shaking his head.

Sam laughed again. “He’s a protective older brother, I also have one of those, so I feel your pain, dude.”

Cas could see that; half of the conversations he’d had with Dean in the beginning were about Sam and his worry for him. Especially when Michael had stopped him from visiting.

“ Okay, well. I’d better go, or I’ll hit traffic on the interstate.” Cas said, with a sigh.

“ See you in a couple of weeks.” Sam said, tapping the door of the truck as Cas started the engine and pulled away from the car lot of the storage place.

Cas headed west, heading towards Iowa, intending to drive on through South Dakota, Montana and Washington before crossing the border and heading north towards Calgary. The small town where the resort was planned was a little to the west in the mountains near the Banff national park. It was barely a town, with only one main street and it’s current main attraction was a bowling alley. The main employer had been a logging company that had recently gone out of business. The town had hopes that Gabe’s resort would rejuvenate the area and bring in much needed tourist dollars.

From what Cas had seen, the town was picturesque, quaint even. The surrounding area looked like something from a fantasy movie.

He looked forward to seeing those views everyday, with Dean at his side.


	21. A fly in the ointment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> I'm so sick right now. I've completely lost my voice and it feels like I gargled a glass smoothie. My head is pounding and all I want to do is sleep. But I dragged myself out of my sickbed so I could get this chapter out. You're welcome.😂 
> 
> Those of you that were waiting for the other shoe to drop, welp, here it is. Dean is mostly on his own for this one. With Cas so far away and Sam on the outside, he has to manage this latest obstacle with the tools he has at hand....

**Chapter Twenty-one. A fly in the ointment.**

  
  


Dean had been avoiding everyone for days, trying to keep his head down and out of trouble. There were some Omegas in here that delighted in starting shit with those coming to the end of their sentences, trying to get them delayed out of spite. The known troublemakers were not the biggest threat though. Linda kept trying to get him alone, she seemed to want to talk and Dean was terrified she knew something and was going to try to blackmail him.

He went over and over everything in his mind, trying to work out what she knew and how she knew it. He and Cas had been so careful. Trying not to take chances when so much was at risk. He went through his letters, seeing if anything in them accidentally revealed something. But he couldn’t find anything.

He sat in the TV room watching some random cooking show with Kaia, who was hunched in a chair across the room, picking at her nails. She was quiet as usual, but kept watching the door nervously. Dean’s instincts kicked in to warn him of the danger as two large Omegas walked in, pushing the door closed and sitting down on the couch to Dean’s left.

Dean knew a set up when he saw one, and apparently so did Kaia, as she got up and left the room quietly, hopefully to get help.

“ What’s this shit?” the larger Omega spat, indicating the TV show that Dean was no longer watching.

Dean shrugged. “Dunno, it was on when I came in here, change it if you want.” he said, sounding bored. His heart was racing as he tried to think of a way out of this situation.

The second Omega got up and changed the channel, before going to sit on the other side of Dean in the chair that Kaia had just vacated.

Dean looked over at the door to see two more Omegas keeping watch outside. He sighed.

“ So, what’s the plan? You pick a fight with me, I kick both your asses and we all get time added? That about it?” Dean said, breathing out heavily. “Or, you can walk out of here, and I forget that this ever happened, okay?”

The two Omegas shared an angry look. Sneering at him as they stood up.

Dean sighed again as he stood up. “This is gonna hurt you a lot more than it is me. So, we might as well get it over with.” he said, then punched the bigger Omega in the face, breaking his nose. He fell backwards, slumping against the couch cradling his face.

The smaller one produced a shank, weaving it in the air in front of himself threateningly as Dean advanced.

Dodging a slash at his chest, Dean caught the Omegas wrist with both hands and twisted, pushing his hand back against his arm and forcing him to drop the knife, before kicking him in the knee, making the Omega scream in agony as his kneecap separated and he crumpled to the ground.

The door burst open as the lookouts decided to join the fight. Dean whirled around and met a female Omega as she leapt at him, going for his face with her nails.

He grabbed her by the hair and shoved her away, taking a hit to the kidney from the other male Omega. He curled over, breathless as the air rushed out of his lungs. He grunted as another punch hit him in the back.

Dean turned and charged, throwing his arms around the other Omegas middle as he used his momentum to slam him against the wall.

The first Omega stood up on wobbly legs, blood pouring from his broken nose, he attacked Dean from behind as he grappled with the third. Dean hissed as he was kicked in the thigh, his leg going dead almost immediately.

“ Hey!” a voice rang out, sharp and authoritative.

The two Omegas Dean was fighting with went lax and stopped their assault. And Dean turned to see who they were looking at.

Linda stood in the doorway, her face hard and her arms crossed. She looked pissed.

“ You were warned not to start this shit. I guess I’m just gonna have to call in your debts.” she said, giving each of Dean’s attackers a hard look.

“ You can’t do that!” the female Omega whined. “My Alpha will go apeshit if he finds out how much I owe!”

Linda stared her down. “Then you should have listened when I told you that he was off limits. I warned you all. You’ve forced my hand. I want the money by the end of the week, or you know what will happen.” she snarled through gritted teeth. “Now get out.”

The Omegas filed out of the room, Linda eyeballing them one by one.

Dean slumped against the wall, breathing heavily and shaking out his hand, his knuckles throbbing where he had landed the punch on the big Omegas face.

“ Why did you do that?” Dean asked suspiciously. “And why did you warn them off me, personally?”

Linda gave him a look. “I think you know why, it’s also why you’ve been avoiding me for days.” she said, staring him down.

Dean kept his face impassive. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. And I haven’t just been avoiding you, I’ve been avoiding everyone, trying to keep my head down to avoid this.” he said, mixing just enough of the truth in the lie.

Linda narrowed her eyes. “Nice try, Kid. I like you, but you can’t lie to me. I can see through you. You’re terrified and with what I know, you should be.” she said, pushing the door shut behind her as she came further into the room.

Dean tensed. “Oh yeah, and what do you think you know? Huh? What big mysterious secret do you think you’ve uncovered?” he sneered, with false bravado. His heart was racing so fast he could hardly catch his breath.

Linda took a seat on the couch. “Now, I’m not going to resort to blackmail Dean, if that’s what you’re worried about. I won’t reveal your secret. No. You’ve done too many favours for my son for me to do that to you. Instead, I’m just going to warn you, I’m not the only one who knows about your beau. You and your officer Novak were seen kissing and more, quite the little Lothario for an Unpresented isn’t he, hmm? You weren’t as discreet as you thought. Now, if you want to know who else knows, I’ll tell you, for a price.”

Dean gasped. He couldn’t catch his breath. They were so close and now this. “You said... you wouldn’t... resort to blackmail.” he panted out.

Linda smiled. “I said no blackmail. But,  _ extortion _ , now that’s a different matter. Big difference between the two.” she said calmly.

“ What do you want?” he sighed, defeated.

“ I have money put aside for when my son and I finally get out of this dump. I can’t touch it and I can’t use it for repatriations, not without serious questions about how I acquired it or making a serious dent in my nest egg. All I’m asking is for your beau to pay them for me. He can afford it, he’s come into a tidy inheritance since he presented. Do that, and I ‘ll tell you who else knows.” she said, leaning forward and wiping a smear of blood from Dean’s cheek with her thumb.

Dean brushed her off, looking irritated. “I need to make a phone call.”

  
  


*******************

  
  


“ Of course I can pay it Sam. But the question is what do we do about the other person who knows?” Cas said desperately. He had been making good time and was only forty miles from the border when Sam had called in a panic.

“ _ I don’t know, Cas. I guess that’s up to Dean. He’ll know once he finds out who it is.”  _ Sam said, sounding frustrated.

Cas rolled up his window to block out the sounds of traffic from the highway. “We’re so close, Sam. So close to finishing this. We can’t let anything stop us now. I’m going to turn around and head back, we’ll figure this out when I get there.” he said, preparing to hang up.

“ _ No! Don’t do that. We need to proceed as planned. Anything else will bring down suspicion on all of us and you’ll just be arrested if this goes south. I’ll handle it, I just need you to make the payment. I’ll call the prison, set up a visit with Dean. I’ll tell them it’s to do with Dad’s will or something, they’ll have to let me talk to him then.”  _ Sam said, thinking fast. “ _ When can you get the money by?” h _ e asked.

Cas thought about it for a moment. “I can get Gabe to buy out my shares now instead of later, it’ll take a day or so for the money to be available, but I can pay it by Wednesday at the latest.” he said, running his hands down his face.

“ _ Okay, get that in motion and I’ll contact the prison. Let them know I need to speak to Dean. We just have to pray the other person doesn’t talk in the meantime. I don’t understand why they haven’t said anything yet, they must want something.”  _ Sam wondered aloud.

Cas agreed. They were probably biding their time, waiting for the perfect moment to come forward. With Dean’s release coming up fast, they were running out of time to identify and head them off before that happened. “Okay. I’ll call Gabe now. I’ll talk to you later, Sam.” he said and hung up.

He took a moment to breath in and out, trying to calm himself. He imagined how Dean must be feeling and almost burst into tears as he thought about how scared he must be and dealing with it all alone. He wiped at his eyes and dialled Gabe’s number. He answered on the third ring.

“ _ You little shit, I just noticed what you did with the tracker. Do you know how expensive those things are? It’s halfway to fucking Tijuana!”  _ Gabe said, sounding pissed.

“ Gabe, I need your help. I fucked up and Dean is going to pay the price for it.” Cas sobbed, finally giving into the fear and frustration as tears ran down his face.

“ _ What happened?” _ Gabe asked, becoming serious instantly.

“ Dean and I were- we were.. um..being intimate and someone spotted us. They’ve kept quiet until now, but Dean is being extorted for the information on who knows, I need you to buy those shares from me now so I can pay it.” Cas babbled.

“ _ What the fuck? You couldn’t keep your dick in your pants until he got out? Jesus fuck, Cas!”  _ Gabe exploded angrily. “ _ Why would you take such a fucking stupid risk?” _

Cas cringed. “It was difficult to keep apart, we were going crazy. We needed something to take the edge off. You know what it’s like.” he said, blushing. His voice sounded whiney to even his own ears.

Gabe sighed.  _ “I get it. Okay, I’ll transfer the money over to your account now. But what are you gonna do about the possible rat?”  _ he asked.

“ Good question. We have to let Dean lead on this one. He’ll know the best way to deal with them.” Cas said, wiping his nose on a tissue he found in the centre console.

“ _ Not that I don’t trust him, Cas. But, are you sure he can handle it? What if they want something you can’t get? There’s too many unknowns, I don’t like it.”  _ Gabe said reasonably.

“ I know, but what choice do we have?!” Cas hissed in frustration. “Every time I think we’re clear, another problem crops up. I don’t know if I could take it if I lost him, Gabe.” he let out another sob.

“ _ No, that won’t happen. I swear to God, nothing is ever simple with you two. But we’ll find out who this punk is, and I swear if I have to buy their grandma a fuckin’ kidney on the black market, I’ll do it. Then I’m booking the nearest hotel room to the border, and you two are gonna mate as soon as he steps over it. No waiting, because fuck if we’re ever going through this again.”  _ Gabe ranted.

Cas huffed a laugh despite himself. “You won’t get any argument from me.” he murmured.

“ _ How far away from the border are you? _ ” Gabe asked.

“ About forty miles or so, why?” Cas asked.

“ _ Okay, get your ass across the border asap. If this shit blows up, I want you beyond the reach of the police. They can’t arrest you if they can’t find you, we can figure out the rest later.” _ Gabe ordered.

“ It feels cowardly to leave Dean to deal with this alone.” Cas muttered unhappily.

“ _ There’s nothing you can do if you stay there, Kid. It’ll just complicate things further.” _ Gabe said sympathetically, echoing Sam from earlier.  _ “We can always deny it, but if you stay, it’ll be obvious you stayed for him.”  _ he pointed out.

Cas sighed. He knew Gabe was right. It was the smart thing to do, but it still felt wrong in his heart.

“ _ Okay, I’ve sent you a whole chunk of change into your high yield account, we’ll sort out the shares and stuff later, this is more important right now. Set up a transfer to your liquid assets. Then, use cash, or filter it through a bunch of fake accounts, don’t transfer it directly. It would be flagged as suspicious.”  _ Gabe advised.

Cas nodded as he took it in. “Okay. I’ll do that. Thank you. I’m sorry I got you into this.” he said sadly.

“ _ Kiddo, I got myself involved, and I’m damn well invested in your happiness. But if you don’t name one of your kids after me, I’m gonna be pissed.”  _ Gabe joked.

Cas was going to have a lot of kids named after other people at this rate. “I’d better get across the border before it gets too late.” Cas said unhappily. “And find some WiFi so I can get this money transferred.”

“ _ Keep me posted. _ ” Gabe said, hanging up.

Cas put his phone down on the centre console and put his head in his hands. Why couldn’t things go right, just once? Why had he let Dean talk him into taking such a foolish risk? He hadn’t known if anyone else was on the wing that day, and he should have. It had been his job to know that. He remembered that day so clearly, how he had Dean writhing under him, his face flushed with pleasure. His scent had been intoxicating. But the memory was now tarnished by the thought that someone had witnessed them in a most private moment. He felt violated.

He was definitely meeting Dean at the border. No more waiting.

  
  


*****************

  
  


Dean caught Linda’s eye as she watched a few of the younger Omegas playing basketball in the yard, he indicated that he needed to speak to her and she gave a brief nod of her head and slowly made her way over to him.

“ It’s done. The money should be in your repatriation fund by tomorrow morning. It’s sent through a repatriation charity, so it looks kosher. You still have to finish up your original sentence, but you won’t have to stay in here any longer than that.” Dean whispered.

Linda looked relieved. “Good. Now, I’ll keep my mouth shut about your little secret, as promised. But I can’t guarantee that Leah Gideon will. She’s the one who saw you both. I have it on good authority that she’s sitting on that info waiting until it will do the most damage. That’s probably around about now, right? You might get her to shut up, but she really doesn’t like you. Does she?” Linda warned.

Dean sagged. Linda was right. Leah Gideon was one of the most evil people Dean had ever met. The daughter of a preacher, she had rebelled against her father and her faith and ran away with a local boy. He was eventually found dead a month later in a burning motel room, murdered with a gun that was found nearby. There was no sign of Leah anywhere.

She was discovered two towns away, working as a prostitute to pay for her drugs. Leah swore she hadn’t seen the local boy since a few days after they left, and the police had no proof she killed him. Convicted on drugs and prostitution charges, she’d ended up here after her father had come to see her and she had begged for his forgiveness. She had been drawn into the local boy’s plan, they were going to marry, but he abandoned her a few days later and she had turned to drugs and prostitution to survive, she swore, batting her lashes and looking innocent.

But as soon as she arrived in the prison, Leah’s true nature was revealed. Sadistic, sly and spiteful, she delighted in destroying peoples lives for no reason. She had run across Dean’s path pretty soon after he arrived. He had found her pinning a younger, smaller Omega to her bed, holding a pillow over her face until her struggles grew weak, then letting it go to allow the Omega to breath in, before doing it all over again.

Dean had dragged her off of the smaller Omega, attracting the attention of the officers. She had gone to solitary for that, and had become Dean’s sworn enemy since then. There was no way Dean could buy her off.

“ Fuck.” Dean muttered.

Linda nodded. “Yep, you have a problem. There’s only one way she isn’t talking, but I doubt you’ve got the stomach for it.” she said cryptically.

Dean shook his head. He wasn’t about to murder her. No matter what he had done so far, murder was a step too far.

“ She could have a small accident, slip in the shower maybe? Trip and fall down the stairs?” Linda suggested.

Dean sighed. “I’m not gonna kill someone, Linda.” he muttered.

Linda shrugged. “Your call, she doesn’t have any friends in here that will miss her though, just saying.”

Dean sighed. He needed something on Leah to keep her from telling anyone. He went over in his mind several scenarios but none of them fitted in these circumstances.

“ Maybe I just deny it.” he said, looking at Linda hopefully. “What are the chances anyone will believe her anyway?”

Linda gave him an incredulous look. “After Ed and Harry? They’ll have to look into it at the very least, and I’m guessing you really don’t want them to start pulling at threads, or everything else will unravel.” she warned.

Dean groaned in frustration. “If I threaten her, she’ll definitely turn me in.”

Linda nodded with a grim look on her face. “I still think a little push down the stairs is your best bet.” she said with a shrug.

Dean side eyed her. “Why don’t you do it if you want it so bad?” he snarked.

Linda shrugged. “I hate the bitch, but I got a kid to get out of here and take to a better life. If it was just me, I’d have done it months ago.”

Dean looked over at Leah who was taunting an older Omega. “We can’t kill her, but I bet there are plenty of people willing to take their shot at her. If she’s too busy watching her back, she’ll forget about mine.” he said, an idea forming.

Linda gave him an admiring look. “I’m liking this side of you. It reminds me of me.” she said approvingly.

“ Will you help me? We’ve only got tonight. You’ll be out of here in a couple of days and I really need someone I can trust.” Dean asked.

Linda raised an eyebrow. “I just extorted $20,000 dollars from you and you still trust me?” she asked incredulously.

Dean shrugged. “You did what you had to. I don’t blame you. Believe me, I’ve done a lot these past few months that I thought I’d never do.” he said with a bitter laugh.

Linda sighed. “Alright. I’ll point you in the right direction. You whisper the right things in the right ears, and she’ll go back under her rock.” she said, a scary look on her face.

Dean felt a shiver go through him. Was he really going to do this? Terrorise someone into silence? Then he thought of all the times Leah had tortured people, twisted the truth and destroyed people's lives for no reason other than that she wanted to and he knew that, yes. He could do it.

Time to go spread some rumours.


	22. Peace, or Freedom?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> I'm feeling a little better. For a moment there I was worried I had Covid-19, but it was just boring old Laryngitis. I completely lost my voice for a few days and although I've got it back, I sound like Marge Simpson with a weird London/Sussex accent 😂😂😂
> 
> Anyway,Cas makes a friend and sees his new home for the first time. The other shoe dropped in the last chapter. Now it's raining boots for Dean when he and Linda make a miscalculation. Major angst incoming. 
> 
> *trigger warning for extreme violence and minor character death*

**Chapter Twenty-two. Peace or freedom?**

  
  
  


Cas drove the truck up the wide track next to a meadow filled with wildflowers. The cabin stood in a shady spot next to a handful of pine trees. A tall, thin man stood on the porch, his hand raised in greeting as Cas parked the truck next to the fence.

As Cas climbed down, the man walked over, his woollen hat pulled down over his ears and his oversized jacket blowing open in the breeze.

“ Hola, amigo. I’m Garth Fitzgerald the fourth. I’m a transplant too. Originally hail from Missouri. Moved up here with my lady a coupla years ago. Nice to finally meet y’all in person instead of email.” he said with a wide grin.

Cas realised this was the contractor and held out his hand to shake.

Garth looked at it and laughed. “Naw, we’re old friends by now, and that ain’t no way to greet a friend.” he said, and promptly threw his arms around Cas in a hug.

Cas froze, completely taken aback by the overfamiliarity.

Garth didn’t seem to notice and slapped him on the back as he broke the hug. “My Bess made some lunch for us, she figured y’all be hungry after driving all that way in one go. I thought y’all might be tired too, so I went ahead and put together the bed you ordered.” he said, heading to the back of the U-Haul and undoing the straps. “I’ll help you get your stuff unloaded and then we’ll have a nice cup of coffee and y’all can tell me all about yourself and your mate. He’s followin’ you up in a few day’s right? That’s kinda sweet that y’all gettin’ the place all ready for ‘im. Reminds me of when I was courtin’ my Bess.” he rambled, apparently only too happy to carry the entire conversation by himself.

Cas stood dumbly on the spot, completely thrown by Garth and his thoughtful gestures and sunny personality. He’d never met someone so friendly before.

Garth looked into the back of the now open U-haul trailer and whistled. “She’s a beauty.” he said admiringly, gesturing to the bike.

Cas nodded. “Uh, yes. She is. I’d rather get her out myself though, if you don’t mind. She’s very valuable.” he said politely.

Garth grinned. “Of course. Classy lady like her don’t need no other man touching her particulars.” he chuckled.

Cas hurriedly pushed some disturbing imagery out of his head and grabbed a box from the U-haul instead.

Garth chatted away as the two Alphas emptied the U-haul, putting the boxes on the porch. Cas found himself warming to the kindly, cheerful man despite himself. Once he made the necessary adjustments in his head, Garth was almost tolerable.

“ You got a lot of books. I’m guessin’ y’all gonna need a couple more bookshelves. I can build a couple for y’all?” Garth offered as they placed the last box down.

Cas nodded. “That’s probably a good idea. How soon can you do them?” he asked.

Garth shrugged. “A month? I got some cedar that’s almost ready. It’ll look real nice with the rest of the furniture and the fixings.” he said, flopping down on the steps of the porch.

Cas nodded. “Yes, I can store the books in one of the spare rooms for now.”

“ I got the plans for the ramp you wanted. She’s gonna be big though. Unless I move it to the side of the porch over there. It’ll be easier to put it in and I can lay a proper path down the side to the drive if y’all want?” Garth suggested.

Cas looked at the cabin and the drive, now he was here, it did make more sense to do what Garth suggested. “That would be better for Bobby. So, yes. We’ll do that. Can you do it by the end of the week?” he asked, trying not to yawn.

Garth nodded. “Yup. I can do it tomorrow. The adaptive bathroom y’all ordered should be delivered tomorrow or the next day, so it’ll give me something to do ‘til then.” he said cheerfully.

Cas yawned again. He still had to call Gabe and Sam to let them know he’d arrived. He hadn’t heard from either of them so assumed they had no news. He took out his phone and shot off a quick text to them both, letting them know he’d arrived safely and that he was meeting with the contractor right now. Then he was going to grab a nap before calling them both later.

He got matching messages from them both to confirm and turned to see Garth pouring out coffee from a flask into two mismatched mugs. He had a cooler with sandwiches, chips and large slices of what looked to be chocolate cake.

“ Y’all must be tired and hungry. We’ll eat and I’ll get out of your hair.” Garth said, handing a cup of coffee to Cas who took it gratefully. He took a sip and was pleasantly surprised by the slightly nutty taste. It was wonderful, even if he did prefer tea, he wasn’t too put out drinking this at all.

“ Good, huh? My Bess makes the best coffee in this town. She owns the little cafe next to the library. Her and her Mom bake all their own stuff too. Y’all should visit when you’re in town. She’ll be offended if you don’t.” Garth joked.

Cas smiled. Garth wasn’t so bad, a little overfamiliar perhaps, but he was just so sweet and eager that it was impossible to hate him. He doubted the man had a single enemy. He had been momentarily taken aback by Garth stating that Bess owned the cafe, but he figured that was the norm here in Canada. In America, Omegas couldn’t own property, or even get a job without an Alpha’s say so. It was refreshing.

“ I’ll be sure to do that. Although I have to say, Dean makes the best caramel apple pie I’ve ever tasted. I’ll ask him to make one as a thank you for all of your help.” Cas said, his chest puffing out proudly as he bragged about his Omega for the first time ever. It was a landmark moment, being able to acknowledge Dean openly without fear.

Garth grinned. “That’s nice of you. I’m sure we’ll enjoy it.” he said, passing over the cooler. “Here, we weren’t sure what you’d like, so Bess made up a whole bunch of different sandwiches. I got beef and tomato relish, a chicken salad, something called a ploughman's, its cheddar and spicy apple chutney. Oh, and a BLT, my favourite. What we don’t eat now, I’ll leave here for y’all to finish, I can’t imagine y’all be up to grocery shopping today. But I got some essentials in for y’all, coffee, milk, toilet paper and such. Just the basics.” he said cheerily.

Cas was touched. “That is incredibly kind of you. Thank you. I hadn’t even thought of it myself.” he said gratefully.

Garth shrugged. “We’re neighbours, it’s the right thing to do.” he dismissed.

Cas looked around at the vast wilderness and frowned. “Neighbours? But the nearest house is two miles away?” he said, confused.

Garth nodded. “Yeah, like I said, neighbours. My place is the one with the big green gables just past the split pines. I guess neighbours for city folk means practically on your doorstep, right?” he laughed.

Cas nodded and picked up the chicken salad sandwich from the cooler. “Yes, I suppose it does. I much prefer this, but it may take some getting used to.” he said, unwrapping the sandwich and taking a bite. It was delicious, Bess had used some sort of lemon dressing that went with the crisp vegetables and moist roast chicken perfectly.

Garth beamed with pride as he watched Cas devour the sandwich as if he was starved. “Told you they were good.” he said, chuckling as Cas blushed. “Tell me about your mate, is he handsome? Good cook? How’d you meet?” he asked, eager for some details.

Cas swallowed the mouthful he was chewing. “Uh, he’s gorgeous, stunning really. As I said, he made the best caramel apple pie I’ve ever tasted and we met through work.” he said, not technically lying. “We’re true mates.” he added shyly.

Garth’s mouth dropped open. “Well that’s something you don’t hear every day. Well, not so’s you’d believe it anyhow. But something tells me y’all ain’t lyin’. True mates, huh? That’s beautiful. I’m happy for y’all.” he said, smiling warmly.

“ I know people will doubt it, but.. Um. Before we met, I was Unpresented. So we know for sure.” Cas said quietly, testing the waters.

Garth’s eyes went round and they looked glassy as they filled with tears. “Damn, that’s romantic. I’m so happy you found each other. I can’t wait to meet him. When’s he comin’ on up?” he asked.

“ In about ten days. I’m going to meet him at the border.” Cas said with a smile, hoping it was true and he hadn’t lost Dean forever.

“ Aww, that’s sweet. Being true mates, it must be hard being apart. I bet y’all miss him.” Garth said, pouring out some more coffee for them both.

Cas nodded. Not actually able to speak for a moment. Not knowing if this latest hurdle could be overcome and their dreams would be snatched away from them.

Garth noticed the sour note to Cas scent. “I’m sorry if I hit on a nerve with that one. Bess always tells me I’m too nosy for my own good. Just tell me to mind my own business.” he said, handing the coffee to Cas.

Cas shook his head. “It’s just we’re not even mated yet and we’ve been through a lot to be together. Even now we don’t know if he’ll get here at all.” he confessed.

Garth swallowed heavily as tears filled his eyes. “Damn, I’m sorry. I don’t know the circumstances, and y’all don’t have to tell me. But that’s so sad. True mates ought to be together. Nothin’ should stand in the way of that.” he said emotionally.

Cas felt his own eyes grow moist. “I’m sorry, I’ve just been so worried the whole way here and I shouldn’t be burdening you with my problems. We hardly know each other.” he said, embarrassed.

Garth shook his head. “Naw, like I said, we’re practically old friends now. My bet is everything will work out just fine. Once y’all had a sleep and a soak in the tub, then problems seem a little smaller. That’s what my Mama used to say.” he said kindly.

Cas gave him a grateful smile. “You’re a good man, Garth.” he said, screwing up the wrapper and putting it into one of the open boxes. “So, are you the only contractor in town?” he asked.

Garth nodded. “Yeah, there was another, but he retired a year ago. Bad knees. I still keep my prices competitive though. Don’t want to take advantage of my neighbours. We’re all pretty friendly around here, don’t be surprised if you get a few visitors out here with cakes and casseroles. They’ll all wanna give y’all a warm welcome. Word to the wise, accept everything, but don’t eat nothin’ that comes from Frank Deveroux. He’s convinced the government is poisoning our food supply, so he grows his own food. Rumour has it he uses his own fertiliser too, if y’all know what I mean.” he said with a loaded look.

Cas grimaced. “Noted. Thank you for the warning.” he said gratefully.

“ Alright. I’d best be gettin’ my behind home. I gotta pick up the little ‘un from daycare and finish my chores before the missus gets home.” he said with a wink. He stood up at the same time as Cas and hugged him before heading down the steps towards his truck.

“ Oh, I’ll be here at eight tomorrow to start on the ramp, okay?” Garth shouted back to Cas.

Cas nodded. “That’s fine, I’ll see you then.” He said, waving as Garth climbed into his truck.

He watched as Garth’s truck disappeared around the bend and sighed. “Well, I guess I made a new friend.” he murmured and then chuckled to himself.

He let himself into the cabin, taking in the beautiful handcrafted furniture and the cosy feel. He headed for the master bedroom where he saw that Garth had not only built the bed, but added blankets and pillows too. There were a bunch of wildflowers in a jar on the windowsill as a sweet gesture. The rest of the furniture would be delivered as the rooms were finished. He sat down on the bed and took his phone out of his pocket, setting an alarm for himself, then kicked off his shoes and laid back on the mattress and fell asleep almost immediately.

  
  


**************

  
  


Dean watched as Linda moved around the cafeteria. She was a master at work. She slid into conversations, dropped a rumour and left without making it look awkward or contrived. He saw the mood shift in the room as she went, from excited chatter to sullen looks and heavy expressions, he knew that whatever she had said was working. There was a palpable atmosphere in the room that had everyone on edge.

Linda made her way back to Dean. “And that’s how it’s done.” she said smugly as someone hissed an insult as they passed Leah’s group sitting at the back of the cafeteria.

Dean grimaced. “Yeah, I think you might have gone a little overboard. It’s about to erupt in here.” he whispered. “Shit, I just saw someone stash a fork in their sleeve. We need to get out of here before this blows up in our faces.”

Linda’s smug expression fell. “Crap, you’re right. I need to get Kevin. Come on.” she said, heading to the table where Kevin and Kaia were chatting, oblivious to the brewing disaster.

“ What the fuck did you even say?” Dean hissed as they moved through the crowd.

“ I just repeated stuff she said herself. I didn’t even have to lie.” Linda said as they reached the table.

Leah had picked up on the mood in the room and was frowning at a group of Omegas who were giving her openly hostile looks.

Linda looked a little panicked as Leah sneered at them. “Kevin, Kaia. Come on, we need to get out. Things are about-”

Linda was cut off by screaming as the group of Omegas leapt at Leah and attacked.

Dean grabbed Kaia and pushed her under the table. “Go, get down. Stay down!” he yelled at her as she instinctively fought him. Linda and Kevin joined her and Dean ducked under the next table when the chairs started flying as the whole cafeteria erupted in a brawl.

Dean seriously regretted trusting Linda. He hadn’t wanted Leah killed in the first place, now more people could die because of him.

He saw Leah stab someone in the face with a fork as she laughed maniacally. She was enjoying this, the chance for unbridled violence and destruction. He watched as she went through the crowd seemingly untouched as they brawled around her. Choosing her victims carefully, she would lash out with a knife or a fist when they weren’t looking. She was covered in blood and food as everything that wasn’t nailed down was thrown.

The alarms blared and officers in riot gear lined the back of the cafeteria, trying to contain the fighting and break off small groups to be dragged away and locked up or taken to the medical wing.

Dean stayed where he was as the officers approached. He saw Leah light someone’s discarded jacket on fire, clearly enjoying herself as two Omegas grappled on the table next to her. It caught and spread to the table itself. Acrid smoke filled the air as the plastic began to melt.

This was not what he wanted. This was chaos. He looked over to where Linda, Kevin and Kaia were cowering under the table opposite. Linda was mouthing an apology to him and she did her best to cover both younger Omegas with her own body to protect them.

Suddenly Leah went down with a scream as the table next to her, burning jacket and all, was flipped over on top of her, trapping her underneath and setting her clothes on fire. Her screams were chilling as she writhed helplessly.

“ Fuck this!” Dean screamed, dragging himself out from under the table and trying to pull the burning table off Leah. He hissed as the heated plastic and metal burned his hands. He took off his own shirt and tried to beat out the flames, he yelled as he was grabbed around the middle and dragged away by an officer and shoved behind the line.

“ No! She’s burning alive, man. You have to help her!” he screamed, his throat raw from the smoke.

“ We are, now get back!” yelled another officer, who Dean recognised as Ezra. He looked scared as he pushed Dean out of the main door and into the corridor where more officers were waiting.

Dean held his burned hands out in front of him as he blindly staggered along the corridor, corralled by the officers to a group who were assessing the prisoners for injuries.

He saw warden Hannah standing off to one side, she looked pissed off as she gave orders into her radio. He passed Cole who was roughly shoving those who he deemed weren’t moving fast enough. Tears streamed down his face, partly from the smoke and partly due to his guilt at starting this.

He came to a stop in front of an officer he didn’t recognise, and held out his hands to show the blisters that were already forming. The officer grimaced and guided him to sit with some other Omegas who were already receiving medical attention.

Dean slumped against the wall, his hands palm up on his knees. He recognised the nurse, Sarah as she treated a bleeding head wound on an Omega who was clutching a dressing to her side as well.

This was officially the worst thing he’d ever done.

He looked up as Dr Daniel knelt down in front of him, inspecting the burns.

“ I suspect these look worse than they are. Let's get them cleaned up and I’ll be able to tell a little better.” he said soothingly as he bathed Dean's hands gently.

“ Are you injured anywhere else?” Dr Daniel asked. Dean shook his head.

“ There, not so bad, eh? I’ll pop on some Flamazine and some non stick dressings and it’ll start feeling better pretty quickly.” he said.

Dean looked up to see Linda, Kevin and Kaia being herded in the opposite direction. At least they were uninjured. They were being escorted up to their cells. No doubt everyone would be on lock down until the tapes were reviewed. The instigators and worst offenders would probably end up in solitary as well as time added to their sentence.

“ Don’t be tempted to pop the blisters. They’ll go down on their own in a few days.” Dr Daniel said kindly as he finished wrapping Dean’s palms. “I’ll check on them tomorrow. Try to keep them clean and dry.” he said, standing up again.

“ This one is ready to go up, and tell that idiot to stop shoving the prisoners or he’ll start a fucking stampede. I don’t want to have to treat trample injuries.” Dr Daniel snapped at an officer standing nearby.

The officer nodded and nudged the officer standing next to him, who stepped forward and indicated for Dean to follow him.

Dean just felt numb as he stood up and followed the officer. Even his hands didn’t hurt that much. He couldn’t believe what he’d done. Leah had died a horrible death. She had been a monster, but did anyone deserve to die like that?

He climbed the stairs, white faced and shaking. When he reached his cell, the officer locked him in and he sat on his bed and cried.

Did he even deserve Cas after this?


	23. Absence makes the heart grow weaker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> This is the final week I'll be posting this fic. The last chapter is Wednesday and the epilogue is on Friday. I'm a little sad about it, but I also can't wait for you to read it. 
> 
> There were some comments on Garth's speech, I'm from the UK, so I may have got it a little wrong, but I wanted his speech patterns to be exaggerated and over the top, just like he is. Like Cas, I wanted to force the reader to make the necessary adjustments in your head to really "get" him. I obviously missed the mark, so I'll take it under advisement for future purposes. 
> 
> Also, there was some contention about where Garth is from. I went from SuperWiki, where the very first paragraph of his history states he was born in Warsaw, Missouri. So, I left it at that. For the purposes of the fic, he is from Missouri. 
> 
> Okay, in this chapter, Dean is not okay. He's very far from okay. Cas isn't doing great either. Both of them are suffering from separation sickness, and are both very depressed. But don't worry, it will all be okay. Sam is a SuperBro and really comes through for them both. 
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are appreciated. I usually reply the same day.

**Chapter Twenty-three. Absence makes the heart grow weaker.**

  
  


Sam watched the late morning news report anxiously as the reporter stood outside the prison gates, describing the scene. The building behind her was locked down and prison officers stood at the gates, grim faced and heavily armed with rifles.

… _.Officials say the riot started when one of the prisoners was confronted by a group of rivals. A fight quickly broke out, leaving one prisoner dead and scores of others injured. The mayor spoke to the press on the situation inside. He was quick to reassure the public that the situation was under control, and praised the officers' quick action that prevented an even worse tragedy. The Prisoner has yet to be named, only that their family is being informed before their name is released... _

Sam had tried to call the prison, but the switchboard just played a message that calls were not possible at this time and to call back later.

He hadn’t received a call or a knock on the door and there was no way he was calling Cas until he knew for sure whether Dean was okay or not. He was all alone and who knew what he could do if he panicked.

His phone rang and he started, fear trickling through him as he saw the number of the prison on the caller display.

“ Hello, this is Sam Winchester.” he said breathlessly.

“ _ Mr Winchester. My name is Officer Ezra. I’m calling about your brother, Dean. I’m not sure if you’ve seen the reports on the unfortunate incident at the prison today.” _

“ Uh, yeah. I was just watching the news again. Is Dean alright? I tried to call, but I couldn’t get through.” Sam said, sounding panicked.

“ _ You brother was unfortunately injured and has been treated for minor burns to his hands. I realise that this is small consolation. But I personally witnessed your brother trying to save the prisoner that was unfortunately killed. I asked the warden if I could call you myself to relay just how brave your brother was. He was questioned last night and he is understandably upset. He blames himself.” _ Ezra said sadly.

Sam breathed out a sigh of relief. “He’s alive? Thank God. When can I see him?” he asked anxiously.

“ _ Um, not while we're still on lockdown. I’m afraid. All visits have been suspended until the warden is sure that there will be no more incidents like last night. However, his release date has been moved forward. It’s policy to release those nearing their official release date early while in lockdown to calm the population and reassign cells. Instead of next Friday, He will be released on this coming Monday. He will need you there to formally take custody of him. Is that acceptable?”  _ Ezra said.

Sam gaped in surprise. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, of course! What time?” he asked, waving to Eileen to get her attention. She looked over worriedly.

“ _ Nine am. Please arrive fifteen minutes before and be ready to submit to a search of yourself and your belongings.”  _ Ezra said, as if Sam hadn’t heard it a dozen times before.

“ I will. Thank you!” Sam said excitedly. He hung up and jumped up, picking Eileen up and kissing her, spinning her around.

“ What’s going on?” she asked, bemused.

“ Dean gets out Monday! We can go get him four days early!” Sam crowed happily.

Eileen grinned. “You have to tell Cas! He’ll be thrilled.” she said, kissing Sam on the mouth.

Sam smiled. “Hell yeah!” he said, putting her down and reaching for his phone.

“ Wait, what about the person who had info on Dean and Cas?” Eileen asked. “They could still talk.” she said worriedly.

Sam shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess we’ll find out on Monday. They won’t let me go see him until then, the whole place is locked down. So maybe they have more problems to deal with than blackmailing Dean.” he theorised.

Eileen nodded. “We should still get out of the country as fast as possible.” she advised.

Sam nodded. “Yeah, I‘ll call the movers and let them know. But first, I need to tell Cas.” he said, dialling Cas’ number. He answered on the fourth ring.

“ Cas! They’re releasing Dean early!” Sam said excitedly.

“ _ What? Why? What happened?” _ Cas asked, rightfully concerned. He knew of only a handful of reasons why that would occur and none of them good.

Sam took a breath and explained. “There was some kind of riot, Dean got some burns to his hands and the place is on full lockdown. They said they’re letting him go early because-”

“ _ SAM! What do you mean he has burns? How bad are they? And what the hell happened?” _ Cas snapped, pissed off that Sam had glossed over Dean’s injuries.

Sam immediately felt guilty. He’d let his excitement over Dean’s release blind him. “Shit, sorry Cas. From what I’m told, they’re minor burns and he got them trying to save someone’s life. He’s a little traumatised, but we can give him all the love and care he needs when I go to get him on Monday. We can get him to you by Thursday, Cas!”

Cas let a wobbly breath out. Dean had been caught in the middle of a riot and he had been alone without Cas to protect him. “ _ Sam they’re releasing him to ease the pressure on the wing. After a riot, those that are due for release within two weeks are let go to allow for breathing room to lessen the chance of another riot. They’ll be going through the wing, separating as many inmates as they can. More space, less pressure. Which means Dean will be isolated. _ ” He explained. “ _ Now, you said Dean is traumatised, is he seeing his therapist? Are they allowing phone calls?” _ he asked.

Sam chewed his lips. “I don’t know. I don’t think so. They’re still on lockdown, it made the news, Cas.” he said, sounding unsure.

“ _ Goddammit, Sam! You’re supposed to ask! You promised me you’d watch out for him! If it made the news, then it was a category 3 riot, which means it was like Hell on Earth in there, no wonder Dean is traumatised.” _ Cas exploded. “ _ Were there any casualties?” _ he asked angrily.

Sam nodded then realised Cas couldn’t see him and answered shakily. “Yeah, one dead, scores injured. They said on the news last night and this morning.” he said, guiltily.

“ _ And yet you didn’t think to call me before now? You didn’t think to check that Dean is receiving adequate care? Are you really that thoughtless?” _ Cas raged.

“ Hey, wait a minute! I didn’t call you because I didn’t have any news on Dean. How would it have helped the situation if I freaked you out?” He said defensively.

Cas took a few breaths to calm himself. “ _ I apologise for yelling. But do you remember what I said? Dean is traumatised and isolated. We both know, he doesn’t do well alone. You need to make sure he is being taken care of. Today is Friday, He’ll be completely alone for three days before we can get him out. It’s too long, Sam. You need to make sure he at least sees his therapist.” _ he explained calmly.

“ Shit, I didn’t know, Cas. I swear. I’ll keep calling the prison until they answer, but they’ve shut down the switchboard.” he said, worriedly.

Cas sighed. “ _ Yes, that’s standard procedure. However, I’ll send you the number for the warden's office. She’ll answer, she has to.” he said. “I’m sorry for yelling, I’m just scared for him. I’ve had a horrible feeling all day, and now you’ve confirmed it for me. _ ”

Sam rubbed his brow with the back of his hand. “Yeah, I know. I just let the excitement take over. I really didn’t know any of that stuff. I guess I should have called you last night and you could have told me.” he said, guiltily.

“ _ Sam, it’s done. Just call the warden, if she asks where you got the number, just mention the mayor's office. She’ll back down. Make sure Dean sees the therapist and that someone keeps an eye on him. Ask if you can talk to him yourself, they may allow it if the therapist thinks his mental health is suffering.” _ Cas said, knowledgeably.

Sam blew out a breath. “Yeah, that’s a good idea. Do you think they’ll let me in to see him?” he asked.

“ _ I don’t think so, no. You can try, but I seriously doubt it. They won’t lift lockdown until they’ve reassigned the cells and put the staggering measures in place. _ ” Cas informed him.

“ Staggering measures?” Sam asked.

“ _ They will split the population into three groups, and each group will shower, take their meals, classes and work in the laundry together in shifts. It’s standard procedure after an incident like this. It keeps the population at more manageable levels; and prevents flare ups. That doesn’t matter right now, what matters is making sure Dean is alright. _ ” Cas said, worriedly.

Sam cleared his throat and brushed his hair back from his face. “Yeah, sorry. Just trying to get a full picture, I guess. I’ll call the warden now, see what I can do. I’ll call you later.” he said, hanging up.

He looked at Eileen who was waiting patiently for an explanation. He filled her in, signing as he went and her expression changed to shock as Sam explained Cas’ worries.

“ You didn’t know, Sam.” She tried to comfort him.

He shook his head. “No, Cas is right. I dropped the ball. I should have been more concerned about Dean’s well-being.” he said, looking at his phone to see that Cas had sent him the number for the warden.

He programmed it into his phone and dialled it immediately. It answered on the second ring.

“ Warden Hannah. This is Sam Winchester. I got your number from a friend at the mayor's office. I’d like to ask you a few questions about my brother’s care.”

  
  
  


************

  
  


Dean stared at the tray of congealed food on the floor of his cell as he sat on the floor next to his bed. He watched a fly circling it, before crawling over the mashed potato. The wing was quiet as church, no radios playing, no gossiping Omegas out on the terraces, no shouting or laughter.

His hands were throbbing, the last lot of painkillers had worn off hours ago, but he didn’t care. Pain was good, it kept him present. It stopped his mind focusing on other things, like Leah’s screams, or the way the plastic table melted to her flesh as her clothes and hair caught fire.

The smell of burning plastic and hair was still lingering on his clothes. He hadn’t changed them since the riot. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t. His burned hands made it difficult to undo the fasteners on his clothes. He had needed the bathroom all day, he knew pretty soon he’d be forced to soil himself.

The prison officer who brought his lunch had been one Dean didn’t recognise, they must be from one of the other wings. Probably the violent offenders wing. They hadn’t spoken and had ignored Dean’s plea for help going to the bathroom with a laugh.

He thought about what he could have done differently. He should never have trusted Linda, she had an obvious grudge against Leah. He should have gotten to her faster, instead of hiding under the table like a coward.

His bladder was screaming at him and his kidneys actually hurt from holding it for so long. He whimpered as he felt the first trickle of urine dampen his underwear.

He sobbed as a puddle formed around him as his bladder emptied itself.

  
  
  


**************

  
  


Cas paced the floor of the main room, worried sick for Dean. Garth had shown up early and was currently in the middle of fitting Bobby’s bathroom. He had noticed Cas’ change of mood after Sam’s call and had wisely left Cas alone.

He looked at his phone for the twentieth time in the three hours since Sam’s call. He’d tried to do something productive to take his mind off things, but had abandoned cutting down the dead tree in the garden when he had almost put an axe through the side of his truck in temper.

His phone rang in his hand, startling him so much he almost dropped it. He saw Sam’s name on the caller display and answered immediately.

“ Sam? What’s happening?”

“ _ You were right to be worried, Cas. Shit. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”  _ Sam said, sounding out of breath.

Cas paled. “What happened?” he asked weakly, his fist clenched around the phone tightly.

“ _ I basically harassed the warden and threatened to get the mayor on her back if they didn’t let me speak to him. They went to get him and… Jesus Cas. They’d left him in a cell, alone, with his hands bandaged so he couldn’t feed or undress himself. He was on the floor, drenched in his own urine and sobbing. I’m on my way there now. The warden has given special permission. I swear to God, Cas. Heads will roll for this.”  _ Sam raged.

Cas covered his mouth as tears filled his eyes. He would never have allowed such cruelty if he had been there. Dean should have been flagged as a vulnerable prisoner, checked on regularly and given help for basic tasks. “Sam, don’t leave him until you’re sure he’ll be alright.” he said shakily.

“ _ I will, Cas. I’ve got one of your handkerchiefs with me, I’ll give it to him. I can smell your scent on it, so it might help.”  _ Sam said, softly. Cas could hear Sam’s truck starting.

“ It might. Sam, try and get the phrase “make it up as we go” into the conversation. He’ll know what it means and he’ll know it came from me.” Cas said, with a sudden burst of inspiration.

“ _ Okay, I’ll make sure of it. The warden has him in her office. She’s keeping an eye on him herself until I get there. The officer who was in charge has been fired. She did it while I was on the phone, so I know it’s true. She thinks I’ll want to sue, or get the mayor on her back, and with everything else going on, she just wants this to go away. It’s the only reason I’m getting in during lockdown.”  _ Sam said over the sound of his engine.

“ Call me as soon as you get back out.” Cas begged. “I need to know he’s okay.”

“ _ Of course, Cas. I won’t leave until I know he’s safe. I promise. I know I fucked up, but I’ve got this. I’m gonna hang up, okay? I don’t wanna get a ticket for using a cell while driving. I’ll call when I get out.”  _ Sam said, hanging up.

Cas put his head in his hands, trying not to lose his mind. He had known Dean needed help, deep inside he’d known. He tried not to let the despair take over as he cried for how alone and lost Dean must be feeling.

“ Here, maybe this will help.” Garth said from behind him. “I keep it for emergencies.”

Cas turned to see Garth holding out a flask. He took it gratefully and grimaced as the whiskey burned his throat. He handed it back and Garth screwed the lid on and tucked it into his jacket pocket.

“ Thanks, Garth.” he said gratefully.

“ No problem, amigo. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but it sounded pretty bad from where I was standing, and ya look like you could do with a friend. Ya don’t have to tell me nothin’ that ain’t my business, but I’ll listen if yal want me to. No judgement neither. And ya don’t have to worry about me tellin’ no-one.” Garth said softly.

Cas nodded. “Thank you, Garth.” he said gratefully. “But I can’t, not yet at least.”

Garth nodded. “That’s okay too. Sounds like you need something to take your mind off things. I could do with a hand bringing in some of the fixin’s for the bathroom. Ya feelin’ up to that?” he asked kindly.

Cas nodded. “Of course.” he said, pushing his phone into his pocket.

Together they brought in the especially designed shower unit, toilet and lowered sink. Garth talked Cas through helping him fit everything. It was just complicated enough that Cas had to focus on it so he wasn’t brooding and waiting for the phone to ring, just as Garth planned.

  
  


***************

  
  


Sam was escorted up to the warden's office. He was white faced with anger as he was asked to wait outside for a moment as the Beta secretary called through to the warden to tell her Sam was here. The scent of angry Alpha was pungent as the secretary meekly suggested that Sam take a seat.

Sam waited a few minutes, growing angrier and making the Beta prison officer twitchy.

“ Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to calm down, I can’t let you through to the warden's office until you do.” the officer warned.

Sam realised that it was why they were making him wait and made an effort to calm down, his scent taking on the calmer notes of lemon balm and ginger. The secretary looked impressed at how fast he did it.

“ Thank you, sir.” said the beta guard, looking relieved. “I can take you through now if you promise to keep yourself calm.” he said, tapping the can of Rage-X clipped to his belt as a warning otherwise.

Sam nodded. “Yeah, I can do that.” He said.

The officer knocked on the door and opened it, ushering Sam inside and following after him.

Sam saw Dean curled into a couch, fast asleep and covered by a soft looking blanket, warden Hannah sat at her desk nearby, going through some paperwork. She brought her finger to her lips indicating for Sam to be quiet, then pointed to a chair opposite her desk.

“ Take a seat, Mr Winchester. Dean is fine at the moment. The doctor gave him some painkillers that have a slight sedative effect. His clothes and dressings have been changed and I managed to get him to eat a light snack just before he fell asleep an hour ago.” she said quietly.

“ What happened? How did he get in such a state?” Sam asked, looking over at Dean’s peaceful expression.

“ The incident last night was a category 3. Which means there was an imminent threat to life for both prisoners and staff. I reviewed the tapes myself, one of the main instigators was the inmate who unfortunately, died. Dean tried to save her, putting himself at risk in the process. She lit a fire, which swiftly spread and set fire to her clothing and hair. Dean attempted to douse the flames, burning his hands before he was pulled away by one of my officers.” she said steepling her fingers in front of herself.

“ Okay, but this morning? How did that happen?” Sam asked, clenching his jaw angrily.

Hannah flicked her eyes over at Dean and back to Sam. “I’m sure you can imagine, after an incident that big, there was a lot of confusion afterwards as we tried to regain order. In that confusion, Dean was unfortunately missed from the list of vulnerable inmates. He should have been placed under close watch by our officers. As you know, I fired the officer responsible for that. I have also fired an additional officer since we spoke on the phone, after I was informed that he ignored Dean’s pleas for help.” she said, a flash of anger in her eyes. “I take my role seriously, Mr Winchester. Cruelty is not my job. My job is to nurture these Omegas and guide them into being productive members of society. I can only apologise that we failed Dean when he was most vulnerable.” She looked genuinely upset.

Sam shook his head. “And what will you do until Monday, when he is released?” he asked.

Hannah chewed her lip anxiously. “If it were up to me, I’d let you take him home now. But it’s not. I cannot let him go until Monday when the emergency powers granted to me allow me to. Our medical wing is full to capacity, as you can imagine. So, he will be placed under watch, as he should have been. I assure you, he will not be neglected again.” she promised.

Sam shook his head. “How can I be sure? Dean has issues with being alone, all Omegas do, but Dean especially. Is there someone he can share with that can keep an eye on him?” he asked.

Hannah shook her head. “No, Mr Winchester. I cannot put the responsibility onto another inmate, that would be unethical and frankly, unsafe. All I can promise is, he will be moved to a cell nearer to the guard station where he can be monitored closely. He will also see his therapist daily and receive medical care three times a day.” she said seriously.

Sam nodded. “Okay, I see your point. May I have some time with him alone? I feel he needs the extra support and reassurance I can provide. Since our father passed, I want to take my responsibility to him seriously.” Sam said, a deliberate dig at Hannah who actually flinched at the mention of their father's death at the hands of one of her own officers.

She nodded. “Of course, I’ll make a room available to you. The standard rules apply of course, but I and his therapist feel he would benefit from physical contact, so you may briefly hug if you wish. It will be monitored for both the safety of yourself and Dean.” she said kindly.

Sam nodded. “That’s acceptable. I’ve been very concerned about him, I think it would benefit both of us.” he agreed.

Hannah looked over at Dean who stirred on the couch, his brows furrowing as he whimpered slightly. “Dean’s therapist expressed worry that he blames himself for the death of the inmate. You may want to take him to a counsellor or therapist for regular sessions once he is released. I have been advised by my legal team that you are within your rights to sue for damages for the events of this morning, Mr Winchester. Dean’s treatment falls far below our general standards and practices and I apologise unreservedly. All I ask is you take into account the unusual circumstances in which they occurred.” she said, her jaw clenching with the admission.

Sam sighed and gripped the arms of his chair as he sat forward. “I believe your intentions are good and that Dean’s sub par treatment was an anomaly. I have yet to decide on how I intend to proceed. All I can say is, if I feel Dean receives the best care available until he is released, it will go a long way to influencing that decision.” he said, pointedly.

Hannah nodded. “Of course, Mr Winchester. I will arrange for a room to be made available for your visit. I believe Dean is waking up as we speak.” she said gesturing to where Dean was stirring again.

Sam indicated towards him, asking silent permission to approach Dean and Hannah nodded, picking up the phone.

“ I need the meeting room next door to be made available to Mr Winchester and Inmate Dean Winchester LAZ 401. They are to have one hour and limited physical contact. Do not disturb them or interrupt, those are my orders.” she said into the phone before hanging up and nodding to the officer standing guard at the door.

Sam knelt down next to the couch and looked down at his brother who was blinking at the bright light. “Hey, Dean.” he said softly.

Dean’s eyes widened as he saw his brother's face close to his own.

“ Sammy!” he gasped, throwing his arms around his brother and bursting into tears.

Sam hugged him back, rubbing circles between his shoulder blades. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m here. You’re safe.” he soothed.

Dean shook his head. “No, I fucked up, Sam. She’s dead and it’s all my fault.” he sobbed.

Sam looked over at Hannah who had a compassionate look on her face.

Sam rocked Dean in his arms. “Hey, they’ve given us a room so we can talk about it, okay? We can even hug if that’s what you need. Whatever you want, we’ll make it up as we go, okay?” he said carefully.

Dean tensed slightly and broke the hug, looking at Sam in surprise. Sam nodded and took a handkerchief from his pocket. Handing it to Dean with a meaningful look on his face. Dean took it, scenting it subtly before a look of profound relief crossed his face. He gripped the handkerchief tightly and held it close.

“ Yeah, Sammy.” he said roughly, but calmer than before and Sam knew he’d gotten the message. He mentally thanked Cas for his quick thinking and his own last minute find of Cas’ handkerchief.

“ Can you walk? I think the officer is gonna show us where to go.” Sam said softly.

“ It’s not far, just next door.” the officer said gesturing to the door.

Dean wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, and sat up. His hair was stuck up in crazy angles, and the clothes he was wearing were far too big for him, making him look small and frail. “I can walk. Just..” he said, gripping the sleeve of Sam’s jacket as if afraid he would disappear. Sam looked at Hannah who looked away and closed her eyes.

“ I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere just yet. Okay?” Sam soothed. Dean was in an even worse state than he realised if he was openly seeking contact, and showing fear at losing it.

“ Painkillers are pretty strong, don’t wanna trip.” Dean murmured, blushing slightly as he tried to excuse his clingy behaviour. He stood up, his legs wobbly as he gripped Sam’s arm.

Sam smiled. “Then I’ll hold on extra tight.” he said, throwing his arm around Dean’s shoulder and pulling him in as he walked him towards the door.

He guided Dean across the room and into the outer office, where the secretary held a door open to another room that had soft lighting and comfortable furnishings.

“ The officer will remain outside. I’m legally required to tell you that although there are recording devices in the room, they have been deactivated for the duration of your visit.” the secretary said pleasantly.

Sam’s eyebrows went up and he looked at Dean who shrugged. “Okay, then.” he said, leading Dean to a couch and sitting down next to him.

The officer closed the door and the room was silent except for the sound of Dean’s shaky breaths.

“ You think they really did turn off the microphones and shit?” Dean asked worriedly.

Sam nodded. “Yeah, it’s just a standard thing they have to say when the equipment is in the room. I guess they use this room for meetings and interviews and stuff.” he said, turning his body towards Dean, who was still gripping Sam’s sleeve tightly in one hand and the handkerchief in the other.

Dean lifted the handkerchief to his face and smelled it. His posture relaxing slightly.

“ Cas knew something was wrong. You guys must have fully scent-bonded or something, cause he said he felt weird and unsettled, then when I called him to tell him about the riot, he just went crazy, insisting I check on you because something was wrong. He’s over a thousand miles away and he knew, Dean.” he said, in awe.

Dean smiled softly. “That’s my Cas.” he said fondly. “Is he okay? I’ve been feeling pretty off myself, I think it’s the separation or something. You might need to check in with him. Make sure he’s doing okay.” he said, looking concerned.

“ I’ve been calling him twice a day, and Gabe calls about the same. The contractor is also the neighbour. Apparently he takes a little getting used to and he’s already declared himself Cas’ best friend or something.” Sam said, and Dean spluttered out a laugh, before his face dropped again.

“ I can feel it. The- The emptiness. We’re not doing so good, either of us, Sam. He’s going crazy up there all alone.” he said, looking scared.

Sam tried not to let the panic show on his face or let it bleed into his scent. “You’ll be together in a few days Dean. He’s going to meet us at the border. He loves you.” he said, shakily, suddenly terrified for his brother and Cas.

Dean looked relieved and scented the handkerchief again. “That’s good. I just hope he forgives me.” he said, his lip trembling as he looked away.

“ For what? Dean, what happened?” Sam asked, leaning in, concern on his features.

Dean looked at him, a single tear ran down his face. “I killed her, Sam. It was my fault. I started the riot. She’s dead because of me.” he confessed.

Sam’s eyes widened. “But, they told me she started it, she threw the first punch, she started the fire. You tried to save her, Dean. It’s how your hands got burned.” he explained, as if Dean was a child.

Dean shook his head. “No, Sam! She was the one who saw us! I knew I couldn’t confront her or she’d talk. So I had the idea to start a couple of rumours so she’d be too busy watching her back instead of mine. Only, it got out of hand and started a riot instead. If I hadn’t of done that, she’d still be alive!” he hissed angrily.

Sam felt a little relief knowing the rat couldn’t expose them, but was mostly shocked at Dean’s admission. He took Dean’s wildly flailing hands by the wrists to stop his spiralling.

“ Hey! No. You don’t control what others do. You had no way of knowing that she would escalate it like that. She started the fire, Dean. She died because of her own actions, not yours.” Sam said, sternly. Trying to get through.

Dean began to sob. “I can still see her, I can smell the burning plastic and hair, Sam. She was screaming. I tried to get the table off of her, but it had melted to her skin and when I pulled… her skin it… I think I’m gonna throw up” he stopped suddenly, his eyes bulging in panic.

Sam jumped up and retrieved a trash can, shoving it in front of Dean just in time for him to vomit into it.

Sam rubbed his back as Dean continued to throw up everything he’d eaten. He made soothing noises and shakily poured a glass of water from the jug placed on the coffee table next to them.

He passed Dean the water. “Here, rinse and spit.” he said softly, just as Dean used to do whenever he got sick as a kid.

Dean obeyed, then drank some of the water to sooth his burning throat. “Damn, that hurt.” he said, rubbing his chest.

Sam placed the trash can on the floor a little further away with a grimace.

“ Have you spoken to the therapist about it?” he asked gently.

Dean shook his head. “Not really. How can I?” he said, looking defeated.

Sam sighed. “I guess not. But I’m not feeling comfortable leaving here while you are like this. You need more help than you’re getting.” he said, rubbing Dean’s arm.

Dean sighed. “I ain’t even got the energy to lie and tell you I’m fine. I’m not. I think being apart from Cas this long is messing with me. It’s been weeks, Sam. The first time my head has been clear was when you gave me this.” he said, holding up the handkerchief. “And even that isn’t enough.”

Sam nodded. He and Eileen hadn’t been apart for more than a few hours since they met. He felt sick at the thought of spending weeks separated from her.

“ You’ve got two days left, Dean. Two. Do you think you can hold it together until then? I’m trying to fast track everything with the Omega registry and the passport agency. But it’ll be a couple more days after that at least until we can leave for Canada.” Sam said anxiously.

Dean rubbed his chest and nodded. “Yeah, but we’ll have to drive through the night. No stopping. I can feel us both falling apart and it’s like a physical ache.” he said seriously.

Sam let out a deep breath. “I’ll see if Gabe can get out to Cas, if he’s as bad as you are, then he needs to help him.” he said.

Dean looked relieved. “Please, he’s so alone. Don’t let him try any Alpha bullshit, and tell Gabe how serious it is.” he said, almost desperately.

“ I will.” Sam said solemnly. “I promise.”

They sat in silence for a little while, content to just soak up the scent of family.

“ Hey, you know the first thing I wanna eat once I’m out here?” Dean said suddenly.

Sam looked at him incredulously. “You  _ just _ threw up in the trash can and you’re thinking about food?”

Dean shrugged. “Trying to focus on anything else than this place, I guess?” he said. “Anyway, I want those fries from that diner, the curly ones? Yeah, with a chocolate milkshake and a slice of warm apple pie.” he said dreamily.

Sam huffed a laugh. “That’s a two hour drive away. But sure, we can go. I could eat some of those fries myself actually. Eileen would love it, she’s a fiend for greasy food.”

Dean grinned. “I like her already.” he chuckled.

Sam rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I can see it now. You, Cas and Eileen ganging up on me. Cas’ eating habits are almost as horrific as yours are, by the way. I don’t know where he puts it.” he said, frowning.

Dean grinned. “You’re gonna get so fat.” he teased.

Sam grimaced. “So are you. You and Cas are gonna have a ton of fat babies too. And Eileen is-”

“ Oh, God. That poor woman. She has to carry your giant mutant babies. She’s too small, Sam. She’ll explode!” Dean said in mock horror, before breaking out into giggles.

Sam laughed. “She’s tough. She’ll manage. Luckily we’re waiting a few years before we start a family. So she has time to prepare herself.” he joked.

Dean gave him an odd look. “I’m not sure how someone can prepare to birth your giant babies. What’s she gonna do, swallow a bowling ball?” he giggled again.

Sam rolled his eyes. Dean looked a lot better than he had even ten minutes ago. But he knew some of it was just a front. He had promised Cas he wouldn’t leave until he was sure Dean was going to be looked after properly. He knew Hannah wouldn’t risk him suing the prison or releasing the story to the press. After the riot, she had to be holding on to her job by a thread. So, Dean was safe, for now. He allowed himself to relax a little, hoping his calm scent would go some way to helping Dean.

“ The warden seems like she actually gives a shit.” Sam mused.

Dean snorted. “She’s a true believer. A Beta who thinks she knows best for Omegas, and that’s ass up under an Alpha, apparently. We’re poor helpless babes in the woods according to her. We don’t know any better. Victims of biology. It’s fucking insulting.” he sneered. “Cas said once, if she spent any time on the actual wings, she’d soon see how wrong she is. He said he’s yet to meet an Omega who wasn’t smarter than any Alpha.” he added proudly.

Sam had got that impression of Hannah himself and nodded in agreement. “I figured it was something like that. But I guess it’s better than the alternative?” he said with a shrug.

Dean gave Sam a disgusted look. “Is it? You’re an Alpha, Sam. You can imagine what it’s like, but you don’t really know, do you?” he said, looking annoyed.

Sam suppressed a smile, this was more like Dean. This was better. “I guess I don’t.” he agreed.

Dean gripped the handkerchief tight and Sam winced as he thought of the burns to Dean’s hands.

“ How are the hands? They must be pretty bad.” Sam asked gently.

Dean shrugged. “They’ll be fine in a week or so. They hurt, but it’s not so bad, I don’t think they’ll scar or anything. They put new dressings on so that I can actually move my fingers now, so at least I won’t piss my pants again.” he said, blushing with embarrassment.

Sam clenched his jaw with anger. “I can’t believe they’d be so stupid as to not realise you needed help and refuse when you asked.” he said trying to calm himself so as not to upset Dean.

“ There was a different P.O on the block. Real dickhead. I asked him for help and he just laughed. I think he thought I was trying to trick him so I could attack him or something.” Dean explained.

“ With bandaged hands? What were you gonna do? Swab him to death?” Sam said, annoyed.

Dean chuckled at the imagery. “She fired his ass in front of me. I think she’s scared we’ll go to the press or something.” he snorted.

Sam huffed a laugh. “Yeah, we have a case if we want to sue and she knows it. She also thinks I have connections at the mayor's office. I’m pretty sure you’ll be treated with kid gloves for the next two days.” he said with a grin.

Dean rolled his eyes. “Yeah, a room with a view of the P.O’s standing around scratching their asses. Great.” he said sarcastically.

Sam huffed a laugh. “Okay, but it’s only two days. Maybe you can make fart noises every time one of them bends over or something. It’ll keep you amused.” he suggested.

Dean let out a throaty laugh. “Like the time I had the fart machine in high school and put it under that bitch Mrs Bevell’s chair in study hall!” he said, chuckling.

Sam let out a booming laugh and the two brothers lost themselves for a few minutes just laughing at the memory.

“ Damn, I’ve missed this. I can’t wait to get out of here. I know it’s only two days, but it feels like forever.” Dean said, grimacing and rubbing his chest again.

“ It’ll fly by. This time next week, you’ll be in your new home, with your mate.” Sam smiled as he brushed his hair off his face. “Y’know. Cas is alright. I thought he was weird at first, reserved. But he’s really funny once you get to know him. Scary fucker when he’s angry though, and stronger than he looks. Remind me not to piss him off.” Sam mused, rubbing his shoulder absently.

Dean grinned. “Badass, right?” he said, his eyes lighting up.

Sam agreed. “Yeah. He surprised me. He’s not what I thought at all. I had a picture in my head of some preppy, overcompensating, jerk. But he’s just not.”

Dean smiled warmly. “Nah, not my Cas.” he said proudly.

Sam looked at his watch. “Shit, we haven’t got long. Got a message for Cas? I’m gonna call him as soon as I get outside.”

“ Tell him not to worry. That I’m making it up as I go.” Dean said with a smile.

“ What’s the deal with that anyway? Is it code? We’ve never used that phrase before.” Sam asked, curious. “Unless it’s like, a sex thing, then I don’t want to know.” he added hurriedly.

Dean laughed. “It’s not like that. It’s more of a “You and me against the world” thing. It just means whatever happens, we’ve got each other's back.” he said shyly.

Sam smiled. “That’s really sweet.” he murmured.

Dean brought the handkerchief to his face and scented it. “I guess it is.”

  
  


************

  
  


Cas’ cell phone rang loudly in the tiny bathroom, making him jump as he attached the waste pipe under the lowered sink. He banged his head and cursed as he struggled to pull the phone out of his pocket.

Garth took the pipe out of his hands “Go on, I’ve got it.” he assured, gesturing to the door.

Cas gave him a grateful smile as he fled the room and answered the call.

“ Sam? Is he okay?” he asked breathlessly.

“ _ He’s much better now, Cas. But you never told me how bad it was for you. The separation is messing with you, isn’t it?”  _ Sam said, slightly scolding.

Cas sighed. The emptiness was getting harder to deal with but he knew it was worse for Dean. He rubbed his chest absently. “Yes, but I’m dealing with it.” he said stiffly.

“ _ Bullshit. Dean’s worried for you, being up there alone and all.”  _ Sam said, not buying it for a second.

“ I’m fine. What’s happening with Dean?” Cas asked, irritated.

“ _ The rat’s dead. Dean blames himself because he started a couple of rumours to scare her into silence, but it backfired. She started the riot, lit a fire that got out of control and accidentally killed herself with it. Dean tried to save her, but burned himself and got some pretty traumatic memories to boot. You guys are safe now though. So, I’ve got an idea that’s gonna help. I got inspiration from you guys and your “making it up as we go” bit.” Sam said cryptically. _

Cas listened as Sam outlined his plan. His heart beating faster in his chest. A smile crept onto his face and he felt more settled than he had in weeks.

“ _ So, what do you think?”  _ Sam asked, excitedly.

“ I think that’s the best idea I’ve ever heard, Sam.” Cas said, happily. 


	24. Freedom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> Well, here we are at the final chapter *sob*. I want to thank FallenWatcher for her editing skills and unwavering support as I wrote this. She edited the bulk of this in ONE day. I think it gave her Carpal tunnel syndrome. 
> 
> I'll be posting the epilogue on Friday, some of the other story lines get wrapped up there so don't panic if you don't see a resolution in this chapter. 
> 
> We also earn our E rating in this chapter as our boys are finally reunited. 
> 
> As always, comments and kudos keep fic writers writing. We're a fragile bunch and we need constant reassurance in order to inspire us to write more fic.

**Chapter Twenty-four. Freedom.**

  
  
  


Dean stripped the bed and shoved the sheets and pillowcases into the laundry bin. He stacked the blankets and pillows on the bed and looked around the room. He had very few belongings, a couple of books that he could easily replace, his radio and his letters, tightly banded together with an elastic band. He shoved them into the pocket of his jacket, it felt strange to be wearing his own clothes again.

He had decided to leave the radio and books for Kaia. She had shown appreciation for the classics and listening to the radio was the only time Dean had ever seen her smile. He hoped the prison officers would get it to her. The place was still locked down and he wouldn’t get to say goodbye to anyone, let alone give gifts.

His letters were the only things he wanted to take with him. More precious to him than anything else.

Officer Ezra stood in the doorway with a goofy grin on his face. “You about ready to get out of here?” he said good-naturedly.

Dean nodded enthusiastically. “Hell yeah. As much as I’ve enjoyed your hospitality, I won’t be recommending the joint. I’m gonna give it a one star review on Yelp.” he joked.

Ezra laughed. He always appreciated a corny joke. “Aww come on. We tried hard to create such a welcoming atmosphere and everything. I mean, the freezing cold showers, lack of privacy and lukewarm meals have got to be worth two stars at least.” he retorted.

Dean huffed a laugh and rolled his eyes. “Aww man. The second I get near a bathroom, I’m gonna take a shit with the door closed. Then I’m gonna take a hot shower and stay in there until I look like a boiled lobster.” he sighed dreamily, then grimaced. “Well, maybe not in that order, or I’ll crack a window or something.” he amended, and Ezra laughed again.

“ Sounds like luxury to me. You gonna stay out of trouble from now on?” Ezra asked, wagging a finger.

Dean held up three fingers. “Scouts honour, sir.” he joked.

Ezra raised an eyebrow. “Omegas aren’t allowed in the scouts.” he said rolling his eyes.

“ Principles the same, man. Just go with it. Believe me, I am never comin’ back here.” Dean said emphatically.

Ezra smiled. “Good to hear it. Not that your good looks and charming personality aren’t appreciated around here, but I really don’t want to see you again.” he said, although his joking tone was laced with a hint of seriousness.

Dean smugly thought he wouldn’t even be in this country, let alone anywhere near this building.

“ What time is it?” Dean asked, suddenly nervous.

Ezra looked at his watch and grinned. “Well, look at that. It’s eight thirty. Time to go down to processing and get you out of here.” he said with a wink.

Dean’s heart was beating rapidly in his chest. In half an hour he’d be walking out of the gates a free man.

Ezra gestured for him to follow and Dean obeyed, eager to leave. He spotted Linda and Kevin being led by two other officers a couple of floors down and realised they were being released at the same time. He waved and they waved back.

At processing, Dean was given his belongings in a clear plastic bag and he signed a dozen forms before being led to another room where he saw Sam filling out a giant stack of even more paperwork.

They smiled at each other and Dean took a seat while he waited. The mood was light, and even the officers seemed jovial.

Sam finally finished the paperwork and Dean was formally handed into his custody.

“ If you gentlemen would like to follow me, I’ll show you the way out.” Ezra said, smiling and gesturing to a large double door.

Dean took a deep breath and imagined he could feel a draught from the outside, which was ridiculous as the entire building was heat sealed.

Dr Daniel had taken off Dean’s dressings earlier that morning and he looked down at his palms, they were still a little red, but the blisters had gone down and they were healing pretty well. He might have a few problems trying to hold a cup of hot coffee or doing anything more complicated than dressing himself, but he was alright.

The inner door opened and he suddenly felt anxious and stepped nearer to Sam, unconsciously seeking out comfort and protection.

Sam gave him an odd look, but smiled and threw his arm over Dean’s shoulder, guiding him through the doors.

Ezra walked them out to a massive door with a grille set in it, there was a clang as the massive bar locks opened and the blare of an alarm as the door itself swung wide. He winked and waved as they passed him to cross the threshold.

Dean could hear traffic and birdsong, as he blinked in the morning sunshine. A thousand smells assaulted his senses as he stepped outside to freedom.

Sam pulled him a little closer as he felt Dean tremble. Neither of them spoke, no words were needed.

Sam walked them to his old truck, parked near the outer gate.

They climbed in, Dean settling into the passenger side and immediately winding down the window as Sam started the truck and fastened his seatbelt.

“ Buckle up. Don’t wanna get a ticket on your first day as a free man.” Sam murmured, with a shit eating grin on his face.

“ We going to your place?” Dean asked, fumbling with his own belt, his still sensitive hands making it difficult.

Sam took over, making sure the belt was secure. “Nope, I thought we’d go to that diner for lunch, like you asked. We’re meeting Bobby and Eileen there.” he said, smiling.

Dean grinned.

Sam drove them through the outer gate and they both whooped with joy as the prison grew smaller in the rear view mirror.

Dean fiddled with the radio, finding a classic rock station almost immediately and settled back in his seat with a smile on his face, the breeze from the window ruffling his hair.

On the interstate, they sang along to the radio off-key and Dean even danced, bobbing in his seat with unbridled joy as Sam shook his head fondly.

Dean watched the scenery go by with fascination, and marvelled at how green everything was. It had still been pretty much winter when he’d been jailed, but now it was deep into summer and the heat in the truck rose steadily as it approached mid-morning.

Sam finally pulled off the interstate and headed for a garishly painted diner with a sign that proclaimed “Best burgers in the state!!!”.

Dean wriggled with excitement as Sam helped him out of his seatbelt. He jumped down from the truck and waved as he saw Eileen and Bobby through the window. They waved back with matching smiles on their faces as Sam locked up the truck and headed towards the diner.

They walked in and Dean took a deep breath in as he scented the smell of fried food and hot coffee. His mouth immediately watered. He headed for the booth by the window where Bobby was chuckling as Eileen practically bounced in her seat as Sam rushed to kiss her.

Dean got his first look at Bobby in six months, the old man was a lot thinner than he remembered, and it was obvious he’d had a stroke, his face still a little lopsided. But he actually looked healthier in some ways. His skin tanned and his eyes sparkled instead of yellowed and dull. He guessed Bobby’s stint in jail had forced the old man to kick his whiskey habit for good.

“ Hey Bobby, you look good, not gonna lie.” Dean said emotionally, leaning down to hug him.

“ Even with my chariot? Fuckin’ thing is a pain in the ass.” Bobby grumbled, but his lopsided grin and bright eyes betrayed his joy as he slapped Dean on the arm.

“ How much mileage you get on that thing? I bet if you raced Sam’s piece of shit truck you’d win, hands down.” Dean joked.

Bobby hooted a laugh. “That’s what you get for buyin’ a Ford.” he said, as Sam objected with a “Hey!”

They took a seat and the waitress came over to take their order, Sam ordered for all of them, knowing what everyone wanted. But Dean butted in anyway, determined to order his own food and making sure the waitress got it just right.

“ So, curly fries, chocolate shake and a slice of apple pie, a la mode or ice cream?” The waitress asked.

“ Ice cream, please.” Dean answered eagerly.

The waitress grinned and said. “Someone’ll be right over with your drinks.” and she left the table.

“ It’s good to see you, boy. I was worried about you for a while.” Bobby said softly. His chair was positioned at the end of the booth.

“ Same here, old man.” Dean said, relaxing into the bench seat opposite Sam and Eileen who were pressed tightly together.

“ Eh, it’ll take more than that to stop me. Just slowed me down some, that’s all.” Bobby drawled, making Dean chuckle.

“ Does it feel weird, being outside?” Eileen asked.

Dean nodded. “Yeah, like everything’s too big, too loud or I’m too small or something. I dunno, it’s difficult to explain.” he said with a shrug.

“ What about smells, is it overwhelming?” she asked, a small smile on her lips as her eyes flicked to something behind Dean and back to his face.

Dean automatically took a deep breath in through his nose and smelled something mouthwatering. His skin prickled as he recognised the scent.

“ I believe you ordered this.” A deep voice came from just over his shoulder.

Dean turned to see Cas standing just outside the booth holding a tray of drinks in one hand and a bunch of wildflowers in the other.

“ CAS!” Dean shrieked, completely losing his cool and leaping out of the booth and throwing himself at the Alpha, who dropped the tray with a smash and almost went down himself under the onslaught. He laughed as Dean almost climbed him in an attempt to get closer, whimpering and trying to scent him desperately.

Cas managed to get his arms around Dean as a helpful patron took the flowers for him with a smile and handed them to Sam who was watching the reunion with tears in his eyes. In fact, the entire diner watched the couple with soft looks and warm smiles.

“ You’re here.” Dean whispered hoarsely, finally looking at Cas, both of them emotional.

“ I always will be. I’ll always come when you call.” Cas said, cradling Dean's face with his hand and kissing him sweetly.

Bobby was wiping his face and sniffing, accepting a napkin from the waitress who was watching with heart eyes as she clutched her hands to her chest.

“ How long were they apart?” she whispered to Bobby who was dabbing at his eyes.

“ Too damn long.” Bobby said cryptically as the kiss continued.

“ Oh, my word!” she exclaimed as Cas pushed Dean against the side of the booth, pressing against Dean with his whole body, the kiss deepening as the scent of arousal filled the air.

Sam gritted his teeth and jumped up out of his seat. “Hey, guys! Cool it, save it for later.” he hissed, rushing to break the couple apart before they mated right there and then.

Cas snarled as Sam tried to force an arm between them, then looked embarrassed as he reluctantly stepped back, releasing Dean who whined impatiently.

“ Not here guys, okay? There are kids around. Not to mention the mental scars I’d have from seeing that.” Sam joked, but his voice was shaky.

Dean gripped Cas’ shirt, obviously reluctant to let him go, seemingly afraid he’d disappear. “Sorry, Sam. Forgot I was in public for a second.” he said, blushing furiously.

“ Clearly.” Sam quipped with a nervous laugh, still keeping an eye on Cas who was taking several deep breaths to calm himself. “You okay? You got it?” he asked Cas, worried the Alpha was going to lose it.

Cas gave him a quick nod. “Yeah, just got overwhelmed for a second. I think I’m close to a rut though, Sam. We might have to leave.” he said, going red. Dean gasped.

Sam’s eyes widened. “Oh shit.” he said, the colour draining from his face. He looked at Dean who was glassy eyed and sweating. “Shit.” he said as he realised Dean was going into heat.

He turned to Bobby who looked bemused. “Guess the separation was a bit too long, Sam. They’re true mates, remember? Better get them to a hotel room, and fast or the kid’s gonna lose it.” he said indicating Cas who was clearly struggling as Dean pressed against him, nuzzling his neck.

The waitress shoved a card into his hand. “Local motel is just down the street.” she said kindly, pointing helpfully.

“ Thanks. Uh, sorry about this.” he said, gesturing to the couple wrapped around each other and the broken glass and spilled drinks. The scent of arousal was thick.

The waitress just laughed. “I’ve seen worse, honey.”

  
  
  


*************

The motel room burst open almost causing the couple making out against it to topple onto the floor.

“ Jesus, guys. At least wait until you’re in the room.” Sam muttered, his cheeks pink from embarrassment. He heard Dean moan and cringed. “Guys, I’m still here, can you just- Not yet!” he said, in a panicked tone when it was obvious the couple were beyond listening.

He pushed them inside and closed the door behind them. Cringing when he heard a thump, then a high pitch whine from Dean and a growl from Cas. He fled, red-faced as he heard the sound of clothes tearing and a breathless whimper.

Dean writhed on the floor as Cas’ mouth travelled from his neck to his now bare chest, his shirt was in tatters, Cas had ripped it from his body in frustration.

“ Please!” Dean begged, his hands twisted in Cas’ hair and his hips lifting as Cas drew his nipple into his mouth.

Cas pinched the other nipple, then circled it with his thumb making Dean tremble as slick dampened the back of his jeans.

Dean pulled at Cas’ shirt, suddenly desperate to feel the Alpha’s skin on his own. “Off!” he demanded, almost strangling Cas as he yanked on the shirt impatiently.

Cas growled, his canines fully descended, and sat up, pulling his shirt over his head and throwing it across the room where it hit a lamp, sending it crashing to the ground.

Dean frantically pawed at Cas’ button fly, hampered by his injured hands and the significant bulge that strained against it.

Cas gently pushed his hands away, effortlessly opening his jeans with one hand and breathing a sigh of relief when his erection popped free.

Dean reached for it, making Cas growl as he brushed his fingers down the shaft to the base. Cas grabbed his wrist, pulling his hand away and began to release Dean from his own jeans, almost ripping Dean’s boots off his feet when they got in the way of pulling his jeans off.

Dean was sprawled on the floor, naked except for his socks, panting heavily as Cas began kissing down his body, with a specific destination in mind.

He yelped as Cas suddenly took him in his mouth, his tongue rolling against the sensitive head. His hands found their way into Cas’ hair, fingers entangling in the dark locks.

The smell of heat and rut was thick as Cas’s fingers brushed against Dean’s hole, the heat and slick easing the way as Cas pressed his thumb inside.

“ Yeah, Cas. Need it.” Dean breathed out, pressing down as Cas pushed two fingers inside him as he swallowed Dean down to the root.

Dean’s legs trembled as Cas brushed his prostate. “Want your knot, Cas. Please.” he begged.

Cas responded by sucking hard at the tip of Dean’s cock and stroking his prostate with more determination, pushing Dean over the edge with a scream.

Dean panted, gasping in lungfuls of air, trying to recover. But Cas was in no way finished. He pulled his fingers from Dean, and used Dean’s slick as he stroked himself to give himself some relief.

Dean yelped as Cas unceremoniously lifted his hips, flipping him over face down on the carpet. He yelped again as Cas spread his cheeks and licked over his hole with the flat of his tongue, making Dean’s eyes roll into the back of his head as his toes curled.

“ Fuuuuuuuck!” Dean gasped as Cas speared him with his tongue, teasing his rim as his hands held him open. He couldn’t stop himself pushing back, needing more. He whimpered and babbled as Cas’ tongue flicked in and out.

Dean could feel the burning need low down, deep in his belly. He needed a knot, and badly.

“ Cas, please. I need your knot. It hurts.” he begged, true desperation in his voice.

Cas responded instantly. Pulling Dean up by the hips so he was presenting. He blanketed Dean’s body with his own, his cock nudging the back of Dean’s balls. Dean’s dick was still hard, even though he’d already come once already.

“ Like this?” he asked, his canines brushing the skin of Dean’s shoulder.

“ Yeah.” Dean breathed, pushing back, desperate for relief.

Cas ran his hands down Dean’s back, giving Dean’s cheeks a squeeze before pulling them apart so he could see Dean’s hole. He pushed in the tips of his thumbs, holding him open as he lined himself up. Feeling Dean tremble as he began pushing in, he moved a hand to his hip, giving it a squeeze of reassurance.

Cas pushed into the hilt, gasping at the tightness and heat surrounding him. This was nothing like the fleshlight, this was.. more. This was real and overwhelming and he felt his knot threatening to pop any second. He wrapped his arms around Dean, and kissed the skin between his shoulder blades as he trembled, fighting the urge to thrust wildly.

“ Cas, please.” Dean whimpered, pushing back, indicating he was ready.

However, Cas was not. “Wait, sweetheart. Just give me a second.” he soothed, trying to clear his head. He needed to keep some control, he didn’t want to hurt Dean if he lost himself.

Dean whined impatiently and Cas pulled back and slowly pushed back in, his mouth dropping open as the slick slide of their bodies sent shivers through both of them.

“ I need more, gimme more!” Dean demanded, pushing back greedily. Cas obeyed, snapping his hips quickly, making them both gasp at the sensation.

Cas gripped Dean’s hips as he began to thrust, pulling Dean into him as the pace built, he could feel his knot beginning to form, pushing against Dean’s hole.

“ Oh, fuck. There, right there!” Dean cried, as Cas’ knot began to push in, popping in and out as his thrusts deepened.

Cas lifted Dean up, spreading his knees and forcing Dean to do the same, so he was practically bouncing in Cas’ lap as he fucked up into his body, his knot finally pushing it’s way inside Dean’s hole fully. Cas began to grind his hips instinctively, his knot pressing on Dean’s prostate. Dean opened his mouth in a silent scream as his orgasm slammed into him with the force of a mack truck, his thin watery come splattering on his stomach.

Cas wasn’t far behind, his knot swelled as Dean’s muscles tightened around him. Instinct fully took over and he sank his teeth into the crease between Dean’s neck and shoulder, the strength of his orgasm making him bite down harder than he intended, making Dean whimper in pain.

Cas ground his hips a few more times, pumping Dean full of come, his teeth still embedded in Dean’s neck and his tongue lapping the blood automatically.

“ Cas, babe. I can’t.” Dean panted, no longer able to hold himself up. He felt boneless and exhausted.

Cas snapped out of his haze and realised in horror what he’d done. “Oh, God. Dean, I’m sorry.” he gasped out, holding Dean up with his arms wrapped around his mates body.

“ Don’t be sorry for that, Babe.” Dean slurred. “I think Imma pass out.” he giggled, slumping back against Cas with a sigh.

“ Dean? Sweetheart?” Cas questioned, alarmed. He looked around and felt like crying. This was not how he wanted this to go. He had wanted their first time to be in their home, making love in their bed, not rutting on the floor of a motel like animals.

“ Cas?” Dean said, cradling Cas’ arms and leaning back to nuzzle Cas’ jaw.

“ Dean?” Cas answered stiffly.

“ That was fuckin’ awesome.” Dean chuckled. “Stop freakin’ out and grab a blanket off the bed, this carpet is nasty.”

Cas huffed a laugh and obeyed, guiding Dean down onto the hastily thrown blanket so that they were spooning as they waited out Cas’ knot.

“ I wanted it to be special.” Cas murmured as he placed tiny kisses against Dean’s shoulder as his fingers traced outlines on his hip.

“ It was.” Dean said, turning to look up at his Alpha. “It was with you.” he said sweetly.

Cas smiled against Dean’s skin. “You know, I did so much research. I wanted it to be good for you. I thought I was prepared, but as soon as I touched you, I forgot everything I’d read.” he confessed shyly.

Dean chuckled. “Jesus, if that was you just following your instincts, I’m in big trouble once you get some practice under your belt.” he laughed.

“ Did I hurt you?” Cas asked meekly.

Dean shook his head. “Nah, the bite is a little sore. I guess you  _ really _ wanted to make sure it took, huh?” he joked.

“ It was a little harder than I intended. I wasn’t prepared for how overwhelming it would feel to knot you.” Cas said, staring at the bite and wincing.

“ It felt pretty good to me too. I don’t know if my legs are ever gonna work again.” Dean joked.

Cas blushed, laying his hot face against Dean’s back.

“ How are you  _ this _ shy after having mind blowing, wild monkey sex on a motel floor?” Dean wondered aloud, yelping as Cas nipped his shoulder.

“ How are you this cheeky when I’m literally balls deep in your ass?” Cas shot back, grinding his hips and making Dean gasp and moan loudly.

“ Okay, okay! I’m sorry.” Dean said, trembling at the oversensitivity. He sighed as he stretched as much as he could. “I have one small request.” he said, brushing his fingertips along Cas’ arm.

“ What can I do for my Omega? As soon as my knot goes down I shall grant whatever wish you desire.” Cas said, pressing more kisses into Dean’s skin.

“ Oooh. Noted for future reference. But, seriously. The next round of wild monkey sex has to be on the bed, my knees are killing me.” Dean said, laughing as Cas groaned.

  
  


**********

  
  


The headboard slammed into the wall loudly and repeatedly as Cas pistoned his hips, Dean’s legs wrapped around his thick waist and crossed at the ankle as he screamed out his orgasm.

Cas’ back was criss-crossed with scratches and the bite on his neck looked angry and sore. He roared as his knot popped, locking them together, the headboard blessedly falling silent as he ground his hips against his mate, then panting into his neck as he fell boneless on top of him.

“ Fuck!” Dean panted, brushing his finger through Cas’ sweaty hair. “As much as I love being fucked by you, I’m almost glad this is the last day. I’m not gonna be able to walk properly for a month.” he joked.

Cas hummed into his chest. “My back is killing me.” he groaned.

They had been holed up in the motel room for three days. Sam had called and texted periodically, checking in on the new mates to make sure they were properly hydrated and dropping off food and toiletries outside the door. Dean picked up Cas’ phone to send Sam a text, asking him to drop off some antiseptic and ibuprofen.

Cas sighed and snuggled further into Dean’s chest. “We should shower once my knot goes down.” he muttered.

Dean trailed his fingers idly across Cas shoulders. “Nope, I’m gonna soak in the tub. My ass hurts.” he chuckled.

Cas groaned again. “Oh, that sounds sooo good. I want one too.” he whined.

“ Dibs on the first one then.” Dean said, smiling as Cas began snoring gently.

Cas’ phone chimed, indicating a text. It was Sam replying.

_ : Lol You guys need a walker or a cane too? Some icepacks? At least it’s only three days with a mate. It could be worse. Lololol! _

Dean rolled his eyes. But agreed wholeheartedly. Heats and ruts lasted about a week for unmated Alphas and Omegas. But once mated, they settled down to just three intense days. He figured it was some evolutionary bullshit that prevented you from accidentally fucking to death or something.

He looked down at Cas who was dozing, his cheek squashed against Dean’s chest, making his mouth form a cute little pout.

“ Poor baby.” he teased “Did I break you?”

Cas frowned. “No, I think we broke each other.” he said tiredly.

Dean chuckled. “True. Sam’s dropping off some ibuprofen, and antiseptic for our bites. You want anything else?” he asked, gesturing to the phone in his hand.

Cas raised himself up onto his elbows. “I’m craving meat. I need a burger or something.” he said, flinching away as Dean tickled his beard.

“ Yeah, now you’re talking my language.” Dean said approvingly. “I like the beard, by the way.” he said, stroking it lovingly.

Cas grinned. “I nearly shaved it off before I came to meet you, but then I saw a picture of me on the front of a magazine at a gas station and thought better of it. The press are still pissed that I haven’t given an interview and they’re digging up all sorts from my past. I saw that they even interviewed my kindergarten teacher. She told them I was a little shit.” he laughed.

“ She did not!” Dean laughed. “I refuse to believe it.”

Cas laughed harder. “Not in those words, but yes, she did. I was a very energetic, curious child. Which meant I got into trouble a lot, because I didn’t understand why I had to sit and be quiet when all I wanted to do was climb trees and read books that weren’t boring text books.”

Dean chuckled. “Oh god, I was exactly the same as a kid. Our kids are gonna be a handful.” he said shaking his head.

Cas’ eyes immediately went to Dean’s stomach and he looked up at Dean nervously. “We didn’t use protection. Do- Do you think we could have…?” he trailed off, not able to finish the question.

Dean shrugged. “We’re true mates. The chances are good that we did. It’s not 100%, but it’s pretty high. I know we talked about it, but we never made solid plans. Would you be upset if I was?” he said, also nervous.

Cas gulped. “Would you be upset? If- if you were?” he asked.

Dean shook his head. “I asked you first.” he said, looking at Cas and chewing his lip nervously.

Cas lifted himself up a little so he could run his palm over Dean’s flat stomach. “No, I wouldn’t be upset. I’d be pretty ecstatic.” he said with a look of longing.

Dean sighed with relief. “Me too. I mean, I might not be, so I don’t want to get our hopes up. But it’s nice to know that when it does happen, the little nugget will be wanted.” he said happily.

“ How long before you know for sure?” Cas asked, excitedly.

Dean shrugged. “A month or so, my scent will change. Then I can take a test to confirm.” he said, with a smile.

“ We’d better treat it as if you are, just to be safe.” Cas said seriously, taking his weight off Dean’s stomach immediately and taking the cover and all the warmth with it. The air conditioner was still turned up to the maximum to deal with their heat and rut and the room was actually a little chilly now the worst of it had worn off.

“ Hey! Blanket hog! Get back here. You won’t squash anything just lying there, dumbass.” he said, pulling Cas back down with a quiet “oof!”

Cas looked spooked. “Do you think we hurt … it? I was pretty rough at times.” he asked, wide eyed.

Dean tried not to laugh. “No, babe. Even if I am … you know. It’s just a clump of cells right now, smaller than the head of a pin. Maybe not even that yet. It’s fine.” he reassured.

“ What if-” Cas started but was interrupted by Dean’s hand over his mouth.

“ Are you freaking out?” Dean asked, bemused, taking his hand away.

Cas looked sheepish, then guilty. “Yeah, I’m freaking out.” he admitted. “It’s just we’ve been through so much, it’s hard to believe that something so wonderful could possibly be happening.” he explained.

Dean leaned forward and kissed him softly on the mouth. “Whatever happens, we make it up as we go.” he reminded, cradling Cas’ face.

Cas smiled. 


	25. Epilogue - Six months later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi *waves*
> 
> Well, here we are finally. The epilogue and a surfeit of domestic fluff. Our intrepid heroes finally get to experience the blissful family life they have both always craved. Their family dynamic and love is evident, even when they they get annoyed at each other, much as it would in real life. (Seriously, I love Cas's excitement and enthusiasm taking over and Dean having to rein him in a little, with fond eye rolls all round.) 
> 
> I want to thank you all for your wonderful comments and encouragement. I had a ball writing this fic and I'm sad it's finished. I'm currently plotting out a few time stamps for it as I'm not quite ready to let it go just yet. So keep an eye out for updates in the near future.   
>  Tribbs xxx

**Chapter Twenty-five.** **_Epilogue-Six months later._ **

  
  
  


Dean saw the delivery truck struggling to make it along the track, the snow that had accumulated overnight hampering it’s progress.

He sighed and rolled his eyes. “Cas! What did you order now?” he called out crossly.

Cas peered out of the office doorway sheepishly. “You said I could order things if they were essential, and they were.” he defended.

Dean crossed his arms. “Cas, if you keep buying shit for the nursery, there’ll be no room for the actual babies.” he scolded.

Cas pouted. “But they were so cute. Little mobiles with bees and flowers. And I got two of those breastfeeding pillows we talked about. Also, I got you another birthday gift.” he said with a sheepish grin.

Dean ran his hands over his bump. “Okay fine, but you’re gonna have to help the poor delivery driver to get out of the driveway again. It snowed again last night.”

Cas sighed. “Fine. You’d think the company would give him a better truck though. All of the properties around here are off the beaten track.” he said irritably as he pulled on his boots and jacket.

Dean huffed a laugh. “Don’t forget your gloves.” he said, pressing a kiss to his Alpha’s cheek as he passed by.

Dean walked into the kitchen where Bobby was loading the dishwasher with one hand. “You feel up to helping me make chilli and cornbread tonight?” he asked.

Bobby nodded and steered his wheelchair over to the counter where he already had the vegetables ready to prepare. “Way ahead of you.” he said. “Is everyone gonna make it after the snow last night?” he asked.

Dean nodded. “Yeah, I got texts from everyone to confirm. The snow ploughs were out clearing the roads early and Cas is gonna clear the driveway.”

Bobby smiled, his recovery had plateaued a while ago. He had regained some use of his left arm, but his grip was unreliable at times. His speech was much clearer and he didn’t struggle any more with difficult words. But his left leg was still pretty bad and he had to rely on the wheelchair to get around. “He just wants to use the plough bar on the truck.” he guessed correctly.

Dean laughed. “Yeah, boys and their toys. To be fair, the driveway is a little big to use a shovel. It’d take him a month.” he joked.

Bobby laughed. “It’d be spring before he’s finished.” he agreed. “You gonna make a pie?” he asked.

Dean rubbed his belly, one of the twins were holding a dance party in there. “I made it last night, it just has to go in the oven.” he said, rubbing his back instead as he felt a particularly hard kick.

“ The kids givin’ you shit?” Bobby asked, gesturing to Dean’s belly.

Dean smiled. “Yeah, these boys are gonna be dancers or kickboxers or something, I swear.” he joked.

Bobby smiled. “You tell ‘em Grampa Bobby says they can be whatever they want to be.” he said with a fake stern expression.

Dean felt warm inside. Bobby had appointed himself as the babies Grampa, even though he was in no way actually blood related. He was almost as excited as Cas and Dean to finally meet them.

They began preparing the big pot of chilli on the stove. It was Bobby’s recipe, his stovetop chilli had been famous back home, and Dean had been craving it. So Bobby had agreed to teach him the recipe as a birthday gift, but had sworn Dean to secrecy. It was a family recipe after all.

Once the chilli was prepared, Dean began making the cornbread as Bobby cleaned up. The door to the cabin opened with a bang as Cas let himself in, huffing and puffing from the cold.

Bobby started making tea, all of them were drinking it now. Dean was only allowed one cup of coffee per day as he was pregnant, and Bobby had been limited as well as coffee gave him heartburn if he drank too much.

“ Driveway’s clear!” Cas called out. There were twin thumps as he pulled his boots off.

“ Thank you, babe!” Dean called back. “Dinner’s on the stove!”

Cas walked into the kitchen, rubbing his hands together to warm them up. His hair was sticking up and his nose and cheeks were a little red. “I smelled it as soon as I walked in.” he said, his eyes lighting up.

“ No tasting until it’s served.” Bobby warned, pointing a finger at Cas, who grinned. He was notorious for sneaking the food before it was ready.

“ I’ll behave.” he agreed. “I’ll finish making the tea.” he offered.

Bobby shrugged. “Fair enough. I’ll go and watch my show, Sam should be here soon.”

Dean held up his phone. “Garth too. He just texted that he’s on his way.” he said.

Bobby steered his chair out to the main room where he switched on the TV and brought up Netflix to binge his latest obsession.

Cas prepared the tea as Dean finished the cornbread and cleaned the counter.

“ Are you alright?” Cas asked, handing Dean a cup of tea and kissing his cheek.

Dean nodded. “A little nervous. It’s the first time she’s seeing our home. I want everything to be perfect.” he admitted.

Cas pulled Dean in and allowed him to scent him, laying his hands either side of Dean’s belly and rubbing small circles with his hands. “It already is, my darling.” he murmured, pressing a kiss to Dean’s temple.

“ When is Gabe getting here?” Dean asked.

Gabe had taken his shares and done what he’d promised. Mike and Luke were kicked off the board as Gabe took over the company. They had even tried joining forces to stop Gabe, but their hatred of each other still outstripped any resentment of Gabe and Cas, and their joint venture collapsed spectacularly. Luke had sold his shares in the company and cut his losses. He was currently in Chicago, trying to get his own company off the ground. Michael was still doing his best to get the company back from Gabe, but Gabe’s hold on the company was watertight and Michael’s efforts were wasted.

Michael had also discovered Dean and Cas’ mating and Dean’s subsequent pregnancy. He had been furious, but could do nothing. Dean’s infertility had never been officially confirmed and he had no proof of a plot. The NDA’s worked to protect Dean and Cas just as it had been designed to protect Michael. He couldn’t even report them to the authorities without breaking the NDA and exposing his own arrogance and stupidity to the public. He had played right into their hands. 

Cas had received a call from Crowley where the lawyer had just laughed solidly for five minutes before congratulating them and hanging up.

Cas wrapped his arms around Dean and scented him, taking in the wonderful aroma of happy, pregnant Omega. “Pretty soon. He’s taking it slowly, Kali is due any day now.” he reminded him.

Dean grimaced. “I don’t know how he convinced her to leave her nest. I already feel antsy about it and I’ve got three and a half months to go.” he said. For the last month, Dean had steadily been building his nest. The complicated arrangement of pillows, blankets and sheets grew almost daily.

“ She brought most of it with her. The spare room is big enough for it.” Cas said, with a shrug.

“ I’m kind of hoping she has the baby here. She should be with family when the time comes.” Dean confessed.

Cas chuckled. “I agree, but it’ll take the combined efforts of Sam and I to keep Gabe calm and together.” he warned.

“ Yeah, I know. It’s just her family are so far away and she’ll need the support of other Omegas. I also kind of want to see what I’m letting myself in for, y’know?” Dean confided.

Cas kissed him softly. “It won’t be quite the same, you’re a male Omega and you’re having twins. Kali is only having one baby.” he reminded him. “I don’t want you to be upset if it doesn’t go like that for you.” he added quietly.

Dean nodded. “I know it’s a bit more complicated for me, and I agreed to a hospital birth if things look like they might... But, I’d really like to have them in my nest if possible. I’m following all the rules and me and the babies are perfectly healthy. Right now there’s no reason to worry, okay?” he said, pressing close to his mate.

“ My priority is the health of all three of you. I will take you to the hospital at the first sign that anything is wrong. It can happen so fast, and I’m not taking any chances with your lives.” Cas insisted.

Dean knew this was one battle he wouldn’t win, so he agreed. Besides, he secretly loved how protective Cas was, and was in no hurry to take chances with his children’s lives either. Even if he pretended to bitch about it. “I know, babe. We make it up as we go.” he said softly.

A loud beeping from the driveway alerted them to visitors. Cas looked out of the kitchen window and smiled. Three trucks were making their way towards the house in a convoy. Gabe and Kali in the first truck, Sam, Eileen and Mary in the second and Garth and Bess in the third. Dean waved and rushed to the door to greet them.

Sam had contacted Mary a few months ago, she had been shocked but happy to have been found. Things had been a little awkward at first, Dean found he still had some lingering resentment over her apparent abandonment. There had been some fights and tears, but they had visited her over Christmas and it had gone very well. They had bonded again and Mary was looking forward to being a grandmother. She was also looking for a transfer nearer to her children. The local police force were looking to replace their chief and Mary was in the running. It was looking good for her as she had twenty years of experience under her belt and several commendations. Cas had offered to build her a small house on their land and she had accepted happily and they could be found excitedly going over plans as Cas designed a smaller version of their own cabin, but with Mary’s specifications in mind.

Cas stood on the porch, his arms around Dean, cradling his bump and scenting him lovingly.

“ I love you.” he murmured into Dean’s ear.

Dean smiled and threaded his fingers though Cas’ over his belly. “Love you too, sappy Alpha.” he teased.

He watched his family climbing out of the trucks and heading towards the house, all chattering excitedly. He looked down at his bump and knew, however these babies presented (or not) they would be loved.

**The End (?)**


End file.
